Cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi was allegedly cheated of Rs 30,000 by a man on the pretext of arranging his marriage, police have said. The police have registered an FIR against the accused and his associates based on a complaint by Bajrangi.
Who is Bittu Bajrangi?
Bittu Bajrangi, whose real name is Raj Kumar, is a Haryana-based cow vigilante who heads the group Gau Raksha Bajrang Force and came into national focus after communal violence erupted in Nuh, Haryana, in July 2023.
He was arrested by Haryana Police in connection with the clashes, which followed a religious procession and led to multiple deaths and widespread unrest.
Bajrangi has also faced previous criminal cases, including allegations related to hate speech and cow protection activities, and has been questioned by law enforcement agencies over his role in events linked to communal tensions in the region.
How did the marriage scam unfold?
According to the complaint, Bajrangi told the accused, Bunty, a relative of his neighbour, that he wanted to get married and that he should let him know if he knew of a suitable match.
Bunty introduced Bajrangi to a woman named Rani. After this, the duo invited Bajrangi thrice to Aligarh to meet prospective matches. Bajrangi finally selected a girl after seeing her photo and after meeting the woman and her family, Bajrangi’s wedding was fixed for February 7.
As promised, Bajrangi transferred Rs 30,000 to the accused on February 6 to buy clothes for the bride-to-be. When he reached Aligarh with his wedding procession, the accused were nowhere to be found and had switched off their mobile phones, the complaint stated.
“When I called the bride, she stated that she knew nothing about the wedding and I had to return empty-handed,” Bajrangi said in his complaint.
Bajrangi was to pay Rs 1.25 lakh to the accused
Bajrangi was supposed to pay a sum of Rs 1.25 lakh to the accused for the wedding arrangements, a senior police officer said.
Based on the complaint, an FIR has been registered against Bunty, Rani and others at Saran police station here under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and a probe is underway, the officer added.