Ninth Time Lucky? Woman Marries 8 Men for Money, Caught While Looking for Next Husband
Sameera Fatima, a school teacher, was arrested in Nagpur for marrying several men under false pretences and extracting money from them.
A woman has been taken into custody in Nagpur for allegedly marrying multiple men on the basis of false claims and extorting hefty amounts of money from them. Police officials stated that the accused, identified as Sameera Fatima, was arrested on July 29 while she was reportedly attempting to lure her ninth potential victim.
Sameera Fatima, who is believed to work as a teacher, had married no less than eight men over the past 15 years and was operating along with a broader gang that exploited marriage as a way to blackmail and extort money—primarily from well-off, married Muslim men—according to the police.
“She would scout and approach possible victims using matrimonial portals and platforms like Facebook,” a police official told NDTV, adding, “She often introduced herself as a divorcee with a child and used fake stories to earn sympathy and gain trust.”
Once she succeeded in building trust, the police claimed, Sameera Fatima would enter into a nikah (marriage) and then begin demanding large sums of money, using threats of legal complaints, public shame, or false accusations. In several cases, the money was transferred via bank transactions, while in others, it was paid in cash.
One of the complainants informed the police that Sameera had extorted Rs 50 lakh from one person and Rs 15 lakh from another, including victims connected to senior positions in the Reserve Bank of India. Authorities believe the total fraud amount could be much higher.
Although she had managed to evade arrest previously—once by stating that she was pregnant—Sameera Fatima was finally tracked down and apprehended at a tea stall in Nagpur, where she was allegedly meeting a new prospective target.
Police said that the investigation is underway to uncover the full scale of the operation and identify any associates who may be involved.
