A 26-year-old Indonesian man, identified as AK, was shocked to discover that the woman he had married twelve days earlier was actually a man.
AK met his partner, Adinda Kanza, also 26, on Instagram in 2023. The couple maintained a private relationship for a year before deciding to marry. During their face-to-face meetings, Adinda wore a traditional Islamic niqab that covered her entire face, which AK interpreted as a sign of her religious commitment.
The couple opted for a small wedding ceremony at AK’s home, as Adinda claimed she had no remaining family.
Shortly after their April 12 wedding, AK grew suspicious of his new wife. Adinda avoided intimacy by citing menstrual issues or health problems and continued wearing her niqab at home, even refusing to speak with AK’s family. Troubled by these behaviors, AK visited the address Adinda had previously given him twelve days after their wedding, where he found her parents alive and well.
To AK’s astonishment, Adinda’s parents revealed that his wife was actually a man named ESH, who had begun cross-dressing in 2020. They were unaware of their child’s relationship or marriage.
According to the South China Morning Post, police reported that Adinda convincingly presented as a woman, with feminine voice and mannerisms. Wedding photos showed Adinda looking entirely like a woman, leaving no room for doubt about her gender.
ESH has been arrested, with police stating that he intended to marry AK to steal his family’s property, according to local media reports.
