21-Year-Old ‘Auctioned’ for Marriage: Beed Police Expose Pune Racket After Suicide Attempt

Beed, 8th March 2026: A racket allegedly forcing a young woman into multiple marriages for money has been exposed, after a 21-year-old survivor attempted suicide following months of exploitation and harassment. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the network, which is suspected to have operated from Pune.

According to the complaint, the woman, a resident of Latur district, was first married two years ago in Beed. However, she returned to her parental home after disputes arising from her husband’s alleged extramarital relationship. After the death of her grandparents, she was left without support, which allegedly made her vulnerable to exploitation.

The victim alleged that a woman living in her neighbourhood lured her with the promise of arranging a second marriage. She was taken to an agent named Mahananda in Pune, who claimed she would help her find a suitable match.

In her statement to police, the woman alleged that the racket treated her like a commodity and effectively “auctioned” her to different men. The first forced marriage was allegedly arranged by the agent after taking Rs 5 lakh from a man in the Katraj area of Pune. The woman stayed there for about 10 days.

She was then allegedly taken away and “sold” to another man in Kurukshetra for Rs 4.5 lakh, where she was kept for only five days. The exploitation did not end there. With the alleged help of another woman from Tuljapur, the victim was again married to a man from Kanadi Budruk after Rs 4.5 lakh was reportedly taken from him. The third marriage was arranged on March 1, 2026.

Police said the racket allegedly arranged three marriages for the victim within a month and collected money from each man.

The situation reportedly worsened when the husband of the agent allegedly called the victim again and told her that another “better match” had been found and that he would arrange a fourth marriage for her. Distressed by the repeated exploitation and mental harassment, the woman consumed poison in an apparent attempt to end her life.

She is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mirajgaon in Ashti taluka of Beed district, where she recorded her statement.

Based on her complaint, a case was registered on Saturday against Mahananda, a resident of Hadapsar in Pune, her husband, and a woman identified as Balika from Tuljapur, along with other persons suspected to be involved in the racket.

Police officials said further investigation is underway to identify other accused and to determine whether more women may have been exploited by the network.