Raipur
Raigarh Police today busted a large‑scale cyber fraud racket operating under the guise of a matrimony website and an erstwhile government “Lok Seva Kendra,” arresting the alleged mastermind and his team while seizing laptops, forged documents, and government‑style stamps and seals.
Fake marriage portal from transport‑cum‑service centre
The crackdown followed a tip‑off to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shashi Mohan Singh, prompting a joint raid by Additional SP Anil Soni, City SP Mayank Mishra, Cyber Police In‑charge Inspector Vijay Chelak, and a team from the Cyber and Women’s Police Station at Nidhi Parivahan Kendra in Dorogapara.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the centre’s operator, Kapil Garg, had previously run an RTO‑related work centre under the Lok Seva Kendra brand, but his official ID had been cancelled about a month earlier. From the same office, the gang was running a fake matrimonial platform named “India Matrimony”, using the lure of online marriage proposals to trap victims.
Orchestrated YouTube scams and repeated “registration fees”
The probe indicates that Kapil Garg and his team, including several young women, created fake Gmail IDs and used their own mobile numbers to set up YouTube channels. These channels carried fabricated profiles with photos and videos, along with contact details that directed interested individuals to the gang.
Victims who responded were first asked to submit biodata, then charged a “registration fee” via UPI. Later, the gang claimed to generate a “meeting ID” for connecting the victim with a preferred profile, again demanding UPI payment. Further money was reportedly collected by sending QR codes over WhatsApp, with fresh pretexts for each transaction.
Pattern of continuous extortion and abandonment
The accused allegedly kept extracting money through a series of contrived excuses before finally severing contact, telling victims that the girl in question had “rejected the proposal” and then moving on to fresh targets.
Based on disclosures from suspect Kapil Garg, another raid was conducted at Shrimati Shanti Devi Society of Education Centre in Dorogapara. The operator, Himanshu Mehra, reportedly admitted having been associated with Garg for the past three years and said girls deployed from that centre had similarly contacted people via YouTube and social media.
Forged documents, stamps and ongoing probe
During the search of the Nidhi Parivahan Kendra premises, police said they found evidence of photo‑edited documents on a laptop and recovered multiple government‑department‑style stamps and seals, suggesting involvement in document tampering. Both office operators and the girls deployed in the operation are being questioned, with the cyber unit intensifying the probe to trace the full network and financial trail.
SSP’s public warning on cyber matrimony fraud
In a stern advisory, SSP Shashi Mohan Singh emphasised that Raigarh Police is keeping “continuous vigil” on online platforms being misused for fraud.
“The public should remain cautious of any suspicious matrimonial or social‑media profile and immediately report suspected cheating to the police. Strict legal action will be ensured against all accused,” he said.
Authorities have urged people to avoid sharing personal documents or making advance payments on any online match‑making platform that cannot be independently verified by official government or trusted portals.
