25 Days Into Marriage, MP Man Claims Spouse Is Transgender, Files Fraud Complaint

A 32-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh's Shajapur has accused his in-laws of concealing his spouse's gender identity, claiming to have discovered 25 days after their wedding that the spouse is transgender. Following his complaint, police have registered a case against five members of the spouse's family, while clarifying that the allegation remains unverified and will be established only after a medical examination.

The groom, a vegetable vendor from Shajapur, alleged that the marriage was arranged through a neighbour, who introduced his family to a prospective bride from Pachore in Rajgarh district. Although his family had planned to hold the wedding next year, he claimed the bride's family insisted on an earlier ceremony.

The couple married on June 29 at a temple following Hindu rituals. According to the groom's family, they spent nearly Rs 5 lakh on the wedding and also handed over Rs 1 lakh in cash to the spouse's family.

The complaint states that the spouse repeatedly avoided consummating the marriage, citing menstruation on the wedding night and stomach pain the following day. On July 2, the spouse returned to the parental home before coming back to the matrimonial house on July 23.

The groom claimed suspicions intensified after the spouse's return when his sister-in-law allegedly saw the spouse shaving. The family then suspected that the spouse was transgender and alleged that this fact had been deliberately concealed before the marriage.

According to the complaint, the groom's family confronted the spouse and informed the relatives on July 24, requesting them to take the spouse back. However, instead of resolving the matter, the relatives allegedly reached Shajapur and assaulted and verbally abused the groom's family.

Acting on the complaint, police registered a case against five members of the spouse's family on July 25. Police, however, have stressed that the allegations are yet to be substantiated.

"Whether the person is transgender can only be confirmed after a medical examination," Kotwali police station in-charge Santosh Baghela said, adding "the accused will be booked for cheating if the allegations are found true in the case."