Indian mass wedding scam leaves 42 families humiliated in Madhya Pradesh
About 42 families from various districts in Madhya Pradesh were allegedly cheated in a fake mass wedding scheme after brides failed to appear at the ceremony venue.
The men, dressed in sherwanis and accompanied by family members carrying sweets and wedding items, gathered at Mata Tehri temple in Dewas on Sunday for what they believed would be a collective marriage ceremony.
However, by evening, the families realised that no brides had arrived and that they had allegedly been deceived out of both money and time.
Police said the victims were allegedly trapped in a financial fraud scheme involving promises of marriage, according to The Indian Express.
Police launch investigation
Bank Note Press police station officer-in-charge Preeti Katare said several complaints had been received from the victims.
“We have received complaints from several youths. The matter is being investigated seriously. The accused are being identified and traced. We are also verifying the claims related to the orphanage whose name was allegedly used,” she said.
Police said each participant had allegedly paid between Rs15,000 and Rs25,000 to arrange the collective wedding ceremony, in addition to a registration fee of Rs2,000.
The men were reportedly shown photographs of prospective brides through mobile phones weeks before the ceremony.
Some victims were allegedly told that the women came from poor or orphaned backgrounds and were willing to marry immediately.
A case has been registered against suspects Mukesh Bairagi, Sunita, Dinesh Bairagi and Narasingh Das Bairagi, police said.
Accused allegedly used social media photos
One of the accused reportedly visited the venue and informed the waiting families that the brides were on the way.
A senior police officer said Mukesh and his wife had been arrested.
“We are gathering details about their modus operandi. Since the accused are from Vidisha district, a team has also been sent there to collect further information,” the officer said.
Rahul, one of the victims from Harniyakalan village, said each participant was allegedly instructed to pay Rs25,000 as a registration fee.
“We were told the brides were from Indore’s Matru Chhaya Ashram. When we asked for photographs, the organisers sent us pictures of models downloaded from social media,” he said.
“They told us to reach Dewas a day before the ceremony and assured us that the collective wedding would take place the next morning. They even promised dowry items. But when we reached the venue, nobody was there, and all the phones were eventually switched off.”
Families left embarrassed after ceremony collapses
Another victim, Ashok, said participants had been instructed to arrive in plain clothes because wedding attire and rituals would supposedly be arranged at the venue.
“They specifically told us not to apply haldi or mehendi before arriving because all the rituals would happen at the venue,” he said.
One of the men had reportedly selected a bride from photographs sent through mobile phones before the event.
Rajkumari, whose brother was among the victims, said the family had submitted documents online for the marriage process.
“After we arrived, the organisers kept telling us that Madam was on the way with the brides, but nobody came until midnight,” she said.
“Several grooms had hired cars to travel here, and many families had invited relatives and guests for the wedding. Everyone was left humiliated.”
