In the Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh, the Chief Minister's mass marriage scheme witnessed yet another fraudulent instance. Middlemen exploited the bait of post-marriage government grants and household appliances to orchestrate wedding rounds between siblings. This scam sent shockwaves through the authorities upon discovery.
Following the revelation, the Block Development Officer (BDO) has reclaimed the items distributed at the wedding and recommended halting the payment of the 35,000 rupee grant.
Remarkably, on March 5th, as part of the mass marriage event in the Lakshmipur block, 38 couples tied the knot. A young woman from a village in the Lakshmipur area was also registered for marriage.
A year past her previous wedding
Reports suggest that the woman had already been married a year ago, and her husband was away for work. Despite this, middlemen convinced her to marry again. But when the intended groom didn't show up, they had her circle the sacred fire with her brother, just for the sake of the grant's commission.
When the Groom Is Missing, A Bride Ties Knot With Brother-in-Law; Jhansi's Mass Wedding Scheme Faces Another Scandal
Household Goods Reclaimed: BDO
BDO Amit Mishra from Lakshmipur informed about the fraudulent wedding of a local woman with her own brother during the March 5th mass marriage ceremony. A meticulous investigation has been launched and the suspect(s) will face consequences.
Real Altar, Sham Marriages, and a Government Scheme—The Curious Case of Missing Grooms in UP
What Did the District Magistrate Say?
The District Magistrate, Anunay Jha, when asked, said that there have been no complaints yet regarding siblings' shared wedding rounds. A thorough investigation is in order.
Scandals Shatter the Solemnity of Jhansi’s Chief Minister-Endorsed Mass Weddings
The farce repeated in Jhansi
Before this incident, a similar scam in a Jhansi-hosted Chief Minister mass marriage event came to light. At the Bundelkhand College event, 96 couples were wed, but it emerged that many brides filled their own partitions and several couples didn't complete the traditional seven circuits during the ceremony.
Ballia's Faux Weddings: An Earlier Instance of Mass Marriage Fraud
Prior to Jhansi, Ballia was rocked by a mass marriage scam where out of 537 weddings, many couples turned out to be fake. Some were already married, others were brought in for money, which got exposed in a viral video where brides could be seen garlanding themselves. Upon DM's directives, 15 suspects were arrested.
