Marriage promise trap: Woman made to undergo IVF

Surat: Chowk Bazar police arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly establishing a physical relationship with a 35-year-old woman by luring her with promises of marriage and a permanent job in the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). The accused allegedly also made the woman undergo IVF treatment after she failed to conceive. The case came to light after the woman discovered that the man was already married, following which she approached the police which booked him under Section 69 of BNS (sexual intercourse through deceitful means or a false promise to marry).
According to the complaint, the woman is currently employed as a diamond worker. She got married six years ago but obtained a mutual divorce after two years. In 2023, she worked as a cleanliness worker with the SMC, where the accused was posted as a supervisor. During this period, they came in contact and began meeting frequently.The accused later proposed marriage. However, the woman initially hesitated, telling him that since she was divorced, it would be better if they remained friends.Police said the accused then allegedly gained her trust by assuring her of a permanent job in SMC, claiming it would help them build a stable future and even a "dream house" after marriage. After winning her confidence, he allegedly started taking money from her, stating it was required for securing the permanent job.As their relationship progressed, the accused allegedly had physical relations with her multiple times, repeatedly promising marriage. However, whenever she raised the topic of marriage, he allegedly avoided it with excuses.The complaint further states that at one point the accused told her his family was opposing the marriage and even suggested suicide as the only option. He also allegedly convinced her that having a child would compel his family to accept her as his wife.The woman later attempted to conceive naturally, but when she failed to do so, the accused allegedly made her undergo IVF treatment for nearly a year. Police said she was made to sell her gold and silver ornaments, and around Rs 4 lakh was spent on the treatment at a private IVF hospital in Surat.However, after the IVF attempts failed, the accused allegedly revealed that he was already married and could not marry her.Last month, the woman contacted the 181 helpline. The helpline staff visited the accused's residence in Mora Bhagal area and found that he was married. Realising she had been deceived, she filed a complaint with Chowk Bazar police."The accused believed that if the victim gave birth to a child, his family would accept her as his wife. However, his plan failed. We are investigating whether there was any other motive behind his insistence on having a child. He has been arrested under BNS Section 69. The accused also has a three-month-old child from his marriage," an officer said.