Harsher law to crack down on fraud by NRI grooms: Sukhbir

Sukhbir said that the new law will stipulate verification of NRIs seeking to marry a Punjabi girl,a compulsory registration of such marriages besides sifting of such details from the Indian consulate in that country from where the NRI resides.

“It is painful to witness desperate deserted wives run pillar to post for justice,” Sukhbir said,adding that a district-wise census of ‘deserted wives’ will be conducted to provide them legal assistance.

The Deputy CM said that under the new law,parents of the girl can be taken to task for marrying their daughter off without proper verification of the groom. “In many cases parents marry their daughters off to NRIs due to greed and leave her at the mercy her in-laws,” he said.

Former Union minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia,who has been fighting this battle along with his close associate R S Bharowal for over a decade and getting relief for such girls,said that out of a total 30,000 such cases in India around 15,000 belong to Punjab,including 10,000 from Doaba region alone.

Sukhbir acknowledged the efforts of Ramoowalia and said that what the government should do was being done by Ramoowalia for years .

SAD MP Harsimrat Badal suggested that a website should be made where photographs of such fraud NRI grooms and their families should be pasted. “It would act as a big shame for these NRI grooms and their families,” she said,while registering her displeasure at the measly number of cases of fraud brought to light by NCW to the Punjab police.

Zonal and NRI Affairs IG Gurpreet Deo said that they have been steadily receiving more complaints. “From 26 cases in 2007 we have had 200 cases till date,” she added,while revealing that only in 102 cases were NRI grooms declared Proclaimed Offenders (POs).

Decide cases in 80 days: Ramoowalia

Ramoowalia suggested a mechanism to tackle marital disputes of NRI grooms including deciding of such cases in 80 days. He also said that the deputy commissioner should take an affidavit from the groom about his immigrant status,while the parents should ask for copies of his various documents like social security,driving license number,bank account statements and guarantees.