A "strict law" will be introduced to check frauds being committed by NRIs grooms, who desert their wives after marriage and disappear, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal today said.
Sukhbir was speaking after inaugurating a helpline for women in distress, 'crime against women'.
An official release quoting Sukhbir said: "Punjab would not tolerate anybody committing fraud with innocent Punjabi girls, and we are fully committed to check such malpractices."
He said the new law would stipulate complete verification of NRIs seeking to marry a Punjabi girl, a compulsory registration of such marriages, besides getting details about NRI from Indian consulate located in that country from where he has come.
Sukhbir said it was very painful to note that Doaba region has witnessed most of such fraud marriages by NRIs and deserted wives had to run from pillar to post to seek justice.
He said that he has given orders to conduct census of such deserted wives and districts have been told to workout funds required to provide legal assistance to them.
The deputy chief minister said after working out the details he would consolidate the list of victims, provide them legal support, contact the concerned Indian consulate through External Affairs Ministry to track the guilty groom and bring him to justice.
Expressing concern over the incidents of domestic violence with the women he said that this new helpline would be monitored by Inspector General of Police and women would be given justice in a time bound manner.
Announcing direct recruitment of 2,000 women Police Inspectors and DSPs, Sukhbir said they would be in-charge of women police stations in all the districts. He said that new recruitment would be made with in six months.
Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that names and photographs of erring NRI families should be put on a website so that such families mend their ways under social pressure.
