Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police busted another marriage racket on Wednesday and arrested 17 people, including eight sheikhs belonging to Saudi Arab, Oman and Qatar along with four Muslim clerics, on the charges of cheating innocent girls in the name of marriage.
Four lodge-owners and five brokers were also arrested by the police in the Old city for their involvement in the racket.
The Arab Sheikhs had married two minor girls namely Falakhnuma and Chandrayan Gutta on a contract basis, according to police.
Earlier, Fareed Ahmed Khan, the chief qazi of Mumbai, was detained by the police on Monday after the investigation, which revealed that he was involved in providing marriage certificate for the minor girl which helped an Omani sheikh to obtain a visa.
Several marriage rackets have been busted in the past by the police in Hyderabad which reportedly persuades girl's parents to get them married to sheikhs on a contractual basis by offering money.
