The modus operandi of these infamous Arab weddings, which rocked the nation with the Ameena episode in the early ‘90s, has gone through a sea of change but not the cruel practice or the suffering and hardship of the poor and innocent Muslim brides.
Hyderabad police on Monday detained two Arab sheikhs, one of whom had come down the fourth time, for allegedly trying to cheat innocent girls from the old city in the name of contract marriage.
According to Madannapet Police Inspector K N Suryaprakash, the Arab duo and a local auto driver who doubled as marriage broker, were detained after an altercation at the house of another marriage broker in Chandrayangutta area here. The Arabs were visiting to quiz the parents of their would be bride.
Police said the sheikhs from Sharjah, Sayeed Hilal Hamoodi (46) and Mohd Sheikh Abdul (51), landed here last fortnight and contacted auto driver Abdul Aziz for a young bride. The latter took them to Mahmood Miyan, who had got his daughter married to an Arabs a few months ago.
Police sources said that as many as 38 such ‘contract ‘ marriages had taken place during the course of the T-agitation. The hub of these illegal “fixed term matrimony”, as they are known, are Baba Nagar, Barkas, Idi Bazaar, Sultan Shahi, Akaramnagar, Hasan Nagar, Sulthansahi and Narashamannagar areas of the old City. The incidents get reported only when there is a rift over payments and promised ‘meher’.
On investigation, Hamoodi disclosed that he was in Hyderabad for the fourth time after having duped three minor girls, and was keen on a fourth ‘contract wedding’. The Arabs had offered Rs 50,000 for a contract bride, while the locals demanded Rs 75,000. Under detention, the parents claimed their daughters were not minors but the police sent the ‘brides’ for age determination to Osmania General Hospital. Mohammed Ismail, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Santhoshnagar division said they are awaiting reports to initiate action against the Arabs.
Hotspot since ‘70s
Police said that Hilal, who had come to India on a visitor’s visa, had ‘married’ a girl in June and left after a month. He had returned in September for another bout of ‘contract’ matrimony.
Since the ‘70s, Arabs have visited Hyderabad in search of virgins from poor Muslim families for ‘marriage’ by luring the families with dollars and also jobs in their countries.
