SAHIWAL(National Times)- Police claimed to have busted a gang that allegedly deprived a man of more than Rs1.5 million in cash and gold jewellery under the guise of a “marriage” at Chak 85/6-R.

District Police Officer (DPO) Usman Tipu told Dawn on Tuesday that Farid Town police have arrested the four alleged gang members, including a woman.

As per police sources, Ismail, a trader of Nalka Farm, Mir Dad Maafi, whose wife had died a few years back, was persuaded by Iqbal Nai, who lived in the same village, to remarry.

As Ismail agreed to the idea, Iqbal introduced him to his accomplices Ali Mardan, Rafiq, Allah Ditta, his wife Nazia, and a girl Maryam, a resident of Kot Khadim Ali Shah, Street No 6, on April 9. The wedding date was fixed for April 17.

On the scheduled day, after the arrival of the wedding party, an unidentified man, who was introduced as nikah khawan performed the “nikah,” and apparently completed the related paper work.

Shortly afterwards, Nazia allegedly left the venue, along with the bride, on the pretext of visiting a beauty parlor and both disappeared.

The other suspects collected the cash and gold, total worth Rs1.53 million, from Ismail and also vanished.

Acting on the complaint, the police arrested four suspects, Iqbal Nai, Ali Mardan Baloch, Allah Ditta and his wife Nazia, who during interrogation revealed that they were part of an organised honey-trap gang that has been depriving innocent people of cash and gold jewellery on the pretext of arranging marriages.

Farid Town police have registered a case against the suspects under section 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The “bride” is yet to be arrested.

ALLOTMENT LETTERS: Out of 700 applicants, owning less than 10 marlas of land, 24, including four women, were allotted five marlas of agricultural land on a five-year lease through a digital draw held under the chief minister’s Apna Khet, Apna Apna Rozgar programme in Sahiwal tehsil.

The allotment letters were given to the successful applicants at a ceremony held here at the Zila Council Hall on Tuesday.

The event was attended by PML-N parliamentarians Naveed Lodhi, Malik Arshid, Samiullah Farooq and Sahiwal deputy commissioner.

Each successful applicant will also receive a Rs50,000 per acre development grant from the Punjab government.