New Delhi, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Central District Cyber Police have busted an alleged pan-India matrimonial cyber fraud racket being operated through a call centre in Agra under the guise of a branded matrimonial portal, shaadipartner.com, and arrested its alleged mastermind, a practising advocate.
According to police, the syndicate targeted men seeking matrimonial alliances by using fake profiles, photographs of women sourced from the internet and staged conversations to create the impression of genuine matchmaking.
The racket allegedly followed a “cheat small, cheat many” model, limiting the amount extracted from an individual victim to a maximum of Rs 15,000.
The investigation began after a man filed a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), alleging that he had been deceived and defrauded on the promise of being provided a matrimonial alliance through the website.
Following the complaint, FIR No. 78/2025 was registered at the Cyber Police Station, Central District, under Sections 318(4), 317(5), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said the syndicate had been operating for around a year and targeted matrimonial seekers across different parts of the country. The accused allegedly contacted prospective victims through WhatsApp, shared photographs of women and arranged telephone conversations with women posing as prospective brides.
Once a victim developed an emotional connection, the accused allegedly demanded payments under various pretexts, including registration, profile access, activation and contact-unlocking charges. In the case that triggered the investigation, the complainant was allegedly cheated of Rs 15,000.
Technical investigation and analysis of the financial trail showed that the money was credited to a Central Bank of India current account registered in the name of “M/s Shaadi Partner Com”. Banking and KYC records identified Jaya Shakya alias Shashi as the sole proprietor and authorised signatory.
Police said the same account was linked to six complaints registered from different parts of the country, indicating an alleged coordinated operation targeting male matrimonial seekers.
Acting on the findings, a police team raided the call centre at Property No. 25, Ramaji Dham Apartment, Sikandra, Agra, on September 4.
Jaya Shakya, 44, described by police as the operational manager and on-paper proprietor, was arrested at the spot. Eight female tele-callers were also apprehended.
During custodial interrogation after being brought to Delhi, investigators allegedly identified Amit Kumar, 29, a BA LLB graduate and practising advocate, as the person behind the operation.
Police alleged that Kumar used his legal knowledge and documentation to create a structure that shielded him from direct scrutiny. The banking arrangements and procurement of SIM cards were allegedly kept in the name of the proprietorship firm, while Kumar presented himself as its “Legal Advisor”.
After learning about the September 4 raid, Kumar allegedly switched off his mobile phones and went underground. Technical surveillance subsequently helped police trace him to Agra.
On September 8, police intercepted Kumar in the Kala Kunj area while he was travelling in a black Hyundai Creta bearing an “Advocate” sticker. Police said he produced credentials issued by the Uttar Pradesh State Bar Council and claimed that he was only acting as legal counsel. Investigators, however, said digital evidence contradicted his claim. He was arrested the same day.
How the alleged racket operated
Police said female tele-callers were recruited through vacancies advertised on WorkIndia, Apna App and newspapers. The recruits were allegedly made to believe that they were joining a legitimate matrimonial service.
To reinforce that impression, the operators reportedly displayed documents including an MSME Udyam certificate, Uttar Pradesh Labour Department registration, franchise agreement and Kumar’s Bar Council credentials.
According to investigators, some employees eventually realised that the operation was fraudulent but continued working because of the additional income. Jaya Shakya and Amit Kumar allegedly paid tele-callers a 10 per cent incentive on the money collected from victims, in addition to monthly salaries of around Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000.
Police said the accused created dummy client profiles on the matrimonial website and sent screenshots to prospective victims to make the service appear genuine.
When a victim asked to speak to the woman whose photograph had been shown, another female employee allegedly posed as the prospective bride during conference calls. The victim could then speak to her for several days, creating the impression that a genuine relationship was developing.
The alleged alliance was later rejected on various pretexts, including Manglik Dosh, family opposition or claims that the woman had become engaged elsewhere.
If victims sought more options, tele-callers allegedly provided details of other families whose profiles were already available on the portal. Police said photographs downloaded from the internet, staged conversations and calls involving people posing as family members were used to create an illusion of genuine matchmaking.
Each tele-caller allegedly had a monthly target of collecting at least Rs 15,000 from victims. Failure to meet the target could reportedly lead to salary deductions and repeated failures to termination.
Investigators further alleged that the accused sometimes refunded money to suspicious or angry victims if they sensed that a police complaint was imminent.
Police said complaints filed through the NCRP could result in the firm’s bank account being frozen, after which Kumar allegedly used his legal credentials to deal with the situation.
Accused identified
Police have identified Amit Kumar, 29, of Sikandra, Agra, as the alleged mastermind and real owner of the operation. Jaya Shakya, 44, of West Arjun Nagar, Agra, has been identified as the alleged operational manager and on-paper proprietor.
Other accused identified by police are Jyoti Kumari, 27, of Mohalla Bichpuri Road, Agra; Karishma Sharma, 24, of Shastri Puram, Agra; Rashmi, 24, of Shahganj, Agra; Anshu Kumari, 32, of Radhe Garden, Agra, originally from Bhagalpur, Bihar; Meghna Parashar, 23, of Agra; Padma, 26, of Bodla, Agra; and Aashika, 21, of Agra.
The allegations against the accused are subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
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