Two wives and four children; third marriage leads to arrest of "Jobin" 

SASTHAMCOTTA: A 39-year-old man from Kannanalloor has been arrested by local police for orchestrating a marriage fraud after it was discovered that he had already been married twice and fathered four children. The accused, identified as Rafique, was taken into custody alongside an accomplice, 22-year-old Jijo Mathew from Mavelikkara, who reportedly assisted in the deception. Both individuals were remanded by the Sasthamcotta court following their arrest.

The investigation revealed that the accused had targeted a 28-year-old woman from Kunnathur, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, marrying her last Sunday under the false name of "Jobin." The victim and the accused had been colleagues at a private firm in Thiruvananthapuram and had maintained a friendship for several years.

To deceive the woman and her family, the accused fabricated a narrative that his own family would not accept the union due to inter-caste differences. Capitalizing on this claim, he convinced the woman's father to provide 5 lakh rupees to help the couple secure a rental house in Kalluvathukkal.

The fraud was uncovered the day after the wedding when one of the accused's previous wives arrived at the scene with their children, searching for him. Although local residents and shopkeepers were unable to assist her, as they only knew the man by his alias "Jobin," they eventually informed her about a wedding that had taken place at a nearby temple. Based on this information, the woman filed a formal complaint with the Sasthamcotta police.

Following the complaint, a police team led by Sasthamcotta Sub-Inspector Jayan initiated an investigation, which confirmed the man's true identity and his history of marital fraud. Authorities stated that the accused had previously deceived other women in Kannanalloor and Nallila using similar methods. Police confirmed that the investigation into the full extent of his fraudulent activities is ongoing.