Government cracks whip on fake profiles on marriage sites

Advertising on a matrimonial site for a suitable match There is some good news as for the first time the NDA government has decided to make it incumbent on the matrimonial sites to ensure no fake profiles are floated on their platforms. With the trend of seeking matches online through matrimonial sites flourishing in the country, the women and child development ministry (WCD) has decided to crack down on marriage sites being used for duping women, resulting in crimes against women. The WCD ministry has roped in the Union home ministry and held meetings with the domestic matrimonial sites to chalk out a strategy and make the sites responsible for the first time. To assist matrimonial sites in verifying the backgrounds of the marriage applicants, the MHA has decided to make available the proposed crime and criminal tracking network and system which will provide a comprehensive database for crimes and criminals, making it easier for law enforcement agencies to verify the complete background of a person and his criminal record, even if he keeps changing his location in the country. All this would be made possible with the click of a mouse once the CCTNS is rolled out, since all the police stations will be linked online in the country, a top government functionary said.

The MHA has particularly taken note of the regular complaints and offences being reported by women of misuse of these sites. Such offenders will soon be caught and booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act, MHA sources said. Sources said atleast two meetings have already been held on the issue with the WCD ministry and other stakeholders. The finance ministry has recently released Rs 420 crores for the CCTNS project.

The home ministry has decided to use the CCTNS network to assist law enforcement agencies being approac-hed by the sites to establish the identity of a person . The finance ministry has recently released Rs 420 crores for the CCTNS project.

Meanwhile, the WCD ministry has formalised detailed guidelines for the online matrimonial market which has so far functioned completely unregulated in the country.