In Maharajganj district under the Chief Minister Mass Marriage Scheme, a significant scam was uncovered where intermediaries orchestrated the marriage between a brother and sister, lured by household goods and grants. Administrative action has been taken in this case. Based on the BDO's report, the DDO has suspended the village council officer. Legal action has also been initiated against the siblings involved.
Moreover, due to negligence in the verification process of the married couple's authenticity, the technical assistant of MGNREGA was relocated from the block to the district headquarters. The BDO has ordered the retrieval of household goods distributed at the wedding and recommended an immediate stoppage of the 35,000 rupees grant payment.
Weddings for 38 Couples Conducted
On March 5, within the scope of the same scheme, 38 couples were pronounced married in the Lakshmipur block area. This included a young woman from a village in the Lakshmipur region.
The Woman was Already Married a Year Ago
Reports suggest that the young woman was already married a year prior to this episode, and her husband was away earning a living. Nonetheless, intermediaries re-enlisted her for marriage. However, the groom did not show up, following which, to secure commission from the grant money, the intermediaries made the woman and her brother undergo the wedding rituals together.
Different Scams Mar Chief Minister's Mass Marriages... Jhansi Witnesses Yet Another Mass Wedding Fraud
Previously, a mass wedding event held in Jhansi also faced similar fraudulent practices. In a mass marriage organized at the Bundelkhand College, although 96 couples were wedded, several brides ended up performing ceremonial rites by themselves, with many pairs not completing the traditional seven rounds of the holy fire.
UP: Bride Weds Brother-in-law as Groom Goes MIA; Ballia and Jhansi Mass Weddings a 'Playground of Deceit'
Fraud Also Surfaced in Ballia
Prior to Jhansi, a mass wedding scheme in Ballia was also tainted by fraud. On January 25, weddings for 537 couples took place, but many turned out to be counterfeit. Some were already married, and others were paid to attend. A video also went viral displaying several brides garlanding themselves. Following the directives of the DM, legal proceedings led to the arrest of 15 suspects.
