Post News Network
Khurda, May 6: A young girl’s error in judgement proved to be costly after her ex, who she had married in a rash act without her family’s knowledge, blackmailed her into paying him Rs 30 lakh in return for their marriage certificate.
Her ex, identified as Manoj Das (27), a native of Jaanla, was arrested Tuesday for deception and blackmail and is in jail following rejection of his bail plea.
Manoj’s overwhelming desire to become rich landed him in jail, with police freezing two of his bank accounts containing Rs 14 lakh. Police also prevented the accused from trying to sell a piece of land that he had bought using the girl’s money.
The accused had in 2008 developed a relationship with the daughter of a well-to-do family. The girl was a student of PN College. In the course of their relationship, Manoj managed to extract Rs 15 lakh from the girl, and in 2012 convinced the girl to get married. The girl, under pressure from the accused, agreed to do so; their marriage was registered in court without the knowledge of the girl’s family.
Later, however, the girl realised her mistake and ended the relationship.
Sometime later, the girl’s family said they wanted her to marry a man of their choice, to which she agreed. She then asked Manoj to hand over their marriage certificate so as to destroy it, but the accused refused and demanded Rs 50 lakh in exchange for the
document.
The girl then paid the accused Rs 30 lakh in two instalments in order to get the certificate. The accused still refused to hand over the marriage
certificate. Faced with no other solution, the girl told her family of her ordeal, resulting in her parents lodging a complaint with police in September last year following which a case was registered, culminating in his arrest Tuesday.
“His greed for more money led to his arrest. If he had returned the marriage certificate to the girl after he was paid Rs 30 lakh, the girl wouldn’t have complained to her family and none would be the wiser,” said a police source
wishing to remain unnamed.
