{
  "id": 1989324,
  "title": "Bhopal Couple Stunned After 4 Years To Learn Their ‘Divorce’ Was Fake",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/bhopal-couple-stunned-after-4-years-to-learn-their-divorce-was-fake",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T17:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/bhopal-couple-stunned-after-4-years-to-learn-their-divorce-was-fake"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Bhopal, a well-educated couple fell victim to a deceitful lawyer who promised them a divorce decree. The woman, a science graduate, and the man, a businessman, got married in 2022, but their union lasted only two days. The wife left her husband's home, claiming he was impotent, and returned to live with her parents. Shortly thereafter, a person posing as a lawyer presented them with a document suggesting their marriage was legally dissolved. Entrusting the document to be genuine, both spouses paid a substantial amount. Unaware of the law that mandates a family court decree for a marriage to be ended, they remained blissfully unaware that fakes held no legal weight. Four years later, the husband sought restitution of conjugal rights in court, only to discover that his previous paperwork was entirely fabricated. The woman is now grappling with the harsh reality that, legally, they remain married. This unfortunate incident highlights a significant lack of legal awareness, making it easy for fraudsters to prey on individuals who lack knowledge of formal judicial procedures, according to Shail Awasthi, a counsellor at District Family Court, Bhopal. Notably, both individuals, despite their higher education, fell prey to the scheme so effortlessly.",
  "summary": "Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A well-educated couple in the city was defrauded in the name of divorce decree by a person claiming to be a lawyer. The couple discovered after four years that their marriage had never legally ended, despite believing they held a valid divorce decree. The woman, a science postgraduate, and the man, a businessman, married in 2022. However, the marriage ended almost…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}