Teacher By Day, Con Bride By Night: Nagpur Woman Held After Doing 8 Marriages

Representational Photo: ANI

New Delhi: A woman accused of marrying multiple men under false pretences and extorting large sums of money from them has been arrested in Nagpur. According to authorities, the accused, identified as Sameera Fatima, was taken into custody on July 29 while allegedly trying to lure a potential ninth victim.

Sameera Fatima, reportedly a teacher by profession, is said to have married at least eight men over the past 15 years. Police claim she operated as part of a larger group that used marriage as a tool to blackmail and extort money, primarily targeting affluent, married Muslim men.

“She would identify and reach out to potential victims through matrimonial websites and social media platforms such as Facebook,” a police official told NDTV. “Often, she introduced herself as a divorcee with a child, using fabricated stories to gain sympathy and trust.”

After establishing trust, Fatima would allegedly proceed with a nikah (marriage contract) and later begin demanding large sums of money. These demands were often backed by threats of legal action, public humiliation, or false allegations. Authorities said that the money was obtained both via bank transfers and in cash.

One complainant reported that Sameera Fatima had extracted Rs 50 lakh from one man and Rs 15 lakh from another. Some of the victims were said to be individuals holding senior positions at the Reserve Bank of India. Police suspect that the total amount extorted could be much higher.

Despite earlier avoiding arrest, at one point by claiming to be pregnant, Fatima was eventually apprehended at a tea shop in Nagpur, where she was allegedly meeting a new target.

Police say the investigation is ongoing to uncover the full extent of the operation and to identify possible accomplices.