Bangladeshi woman returns home after discovering UP lover's marriage

A 32-year-old mother-of-three from Bangladesh who arrived in Uttar Pradesh's Shravasti district to meet a man she got to know and fell in love with over the Internet returned to her country after discovering that he is married, police said on Sunday.

Dilruba Sharmi, a widow who worked as a beautician, arrived in India on September 26 with her three children to meet 27-year-old Abdul Kareem, a resident of Bhartha Roshangarh village in the district's Malhipur area, they said.

Kareem, a chef in Bahrain, came in contact with the woman over the Internet.

Sharmi's husband died during the COVID-19 pandemic. She reached Lucknow on September 26 with her three children-- aged 15, 12 and seven -- on a tourist visa, the police said.

Kareem landed in Lucknow on the same day. The five of them reached Bahraich in a bus and checked into a hotel where they stayed for two days before travelling to Kareem's native village, the police said.

Kareem, who had told Sharmi that he was unmarried, was confronted by his wife and villagers informed the police and Sashastra Seema Bal officials.

Security agencies also swung into action and launched an inquiry. Following this, Shrami decided to return to her country.

Malhipur SHO Dharmendra Kumar told PTI that the woman came to India on a tourist visa.

"No criminal angle was found in the probe. Her tourist visa was valid. She returned to Lucknow on Saturday and probably left for Bangladesh from there. Kareem also left, saying he was going back to Bahrain," he added.

Additional Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar Yadav said officials from the Intelligence Bureau, Sashastra Seema Bal and the Anti Terrorist Squad interrogated both Sharmi and Kareem and found nothing suspicious.

The woman left on her own, saying she would return to her country, he added.