Madhya Pradesh police have arrested a couple accused of cheating at least 42 grooms and their families through a fake mass wedding scam in Dewas. The accused allegedly promised brides from an orphanage in Indore, used photos downloaded from social media, and charged victims between Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000.
Police in Madhya Pradesh have busted an alleged marriage racket after arresting a couple accused of cheating dozens of grooms and their families by promising them brides through a fake mass wedding ceremony in Dewas district. According to police officials, the accused allegedly duped at least 42 grooms after claiming they would arrange marriages with women from an orphanage in Indore.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mukesh Bairagi and Sunita Das Bairagi. A case was registered against four people late on Sunday night, while two other accused are currently absconding, acoording to News Agency PTI. The investigation is being handled by the Dewas Bank Note Press police station.
Families promised brides from orphanage
Police said the accused approached families from different districts and convinced them that they could arrange marriages at a mass wedding ceremony being organised at a religious site in Dewas.
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Sub-inspector Rahul Parmar said the accused allegedly downloaded photographs of women from social media platforms and showed them to families as prospective brides.
The victims were reportedly asked to pay between Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000 for the marriage arrangements.
Believing the promises, several families agreed and prepared for the wedding ceremony.
Scam, exposed after brides never arrived
The alleged fraud came to light on Sunday when the grooms and their relatives reached the designated wedding venue in Dewas. According to police, the families waited at the location until around 10 pm for the brides and organisers to arrive. However, nobody turned up.
After realising that they had been cheated, the victims approached the local police station and lodged complaints.
Eyewitnesses and victims claimed that nearly 42 grooms had fallen victim to the alleged scam.
However, officials said only around 10 families had formally filed complaints so far.
Police officials said many families may still be hesitant to come forward because of fear of embarrassment and social stigma linked to failed marriage arrangements.
Officials believe the actual number of victims could be higher as more people may have been contacted by the accused.
The case has sparked concern in the area, especially because the accused allegedly used fake identities and social media photographs to gain the trust of families looking for marriage proposals.
Police are now searching for the two absconding accused and are trying to find out whether the group was involved in similar fraud cases elsewhere.
Investigation underway
The Dewas police said further investigation into the marriage fraud racket is ongoing.
Officials are examining financial transactions, phone records and online activity linked to the accused. Police are also trying to identify the women whose photographs were allegedly taken from social media without permission.
The incident has once again highlighted how fraudsters are increasingly using social media and fake promises to target families searching for marriage alliances.
Police have advised people to properly verify identities and background details before agreeing to marriage arrangements or paying money to unknown organisers.
(With inputs from agencies)
