The police have busted a racket of 'contract marriage' of local women and minor girls with men from the Middle East and Gulf countries.

The police have arrested 20 persons, including eight foreign nationals, in this connection, a senior official said today.

They also arrested three qazis (people who conduct the marriage), four lodge owners and five brokers/agents who mediated to get such marriages solemnised, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) V Satyanarayana said.

"We busted the 'contract marriage' (short-term marriage) racket and foiled attempts by eight sheikhs from Arab, Oman and Qatar to marry local girls," he said.

"Two minor girls have been rescued. Preliminary investigation has revealed that through the contract marriages, these people planned to traffic at least 20 women and minor girls," the senior police officer told PTI.

Further probe was on into the racket, he said.

The Hyderabad police had in the past also busted several contract marriage rackets in the Old City area wherein such marriages were performed aided by fabricated documents.

The modus operandi of the agents in such rackets is to trap minor girls from poor families by luring them with money, and then practically selling them off to foreigners with the help of priests who solemnise the marriages, police earlier said.

At the time of marriage, the bride is made to sign blank bond papers of talaq, they said. -- PTI