Marriage racket busted in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Husband and wife duped 42 grooms by promising them mass marriage with orphanage girls. Took ₹10,000-₹25,000 from each. 2 accused arrested, investigation is ongoing.
Dewas: Madhya Pradesh Police has busted a big marriage racket. Police have arrested a husband and wife who are accused of duping dozens of grooms and their families in the name of fake mass marriage ceremony in Dewas district. According to police officials, the accused duped at least 42 grooms on the pretext of marrying girls from an orphanage in Indore. The arrested accused have been identified as Mukesh Bairagi and Sunita Das Bairagi. According to news agency PTI, a case was registered against four people late on Sunday night, while two other accused are still absconding. The Bank Note Press Police Station of Dewas is investigating this matter.
Had given the promise of marriage to orphanage girls
Police said that the accused contacted families from different districts. He assured the families that he could get them married in a mass marriage ceremony being organized at a religious place in Dewas. Sub-Inspector Rahul Parmar said that the accused downloaded photographs of women from social media platforms and showed them to the families, posing as future brides. Ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 were demanded from the victims for arranging marriages. Believing the promises of the accused, many families started preparing for the marriage.
If the bride did not arrive then the scam was exposed
The fraud came to light on Sunday, when the groom and his relatives reached Dewas at the venue fixed for the wedding. According to the police, the family members kept waiting for the brides and the organizers till around 10 pm. But, no one came there. When they realized that they were cheated, the victims reached the local police station and lodged a complaint. Eyewitnesses and victims claimed that around 42 grooms had fallen victim to this alleged scam. However, officials say only 10 families have filed formal complaints so far. Police officials believe that many families are still hesitant in coming forward due to the fear of stigma and social embarrassment associated with the breakdown of marriage.
Officials fear that the actual number of victims may be much higher, as the accused may have contacted many more people. The case has raised concerns in the area, especially because the accused used fake identities and social media photos to gain the trust of families looking for marriage partners. The police are now searching for the two absconding accused and trying to find out if the gang was involved in similar fraud cases elsewhere.
investigation is ongoing
Dewas Police has said that further investigation into the marriage fraud racket is underway. Officials are investigating bank transactions, phone records and online activities related to the accused. Police are also trying to identify the women whose photographs were taken from social media without permission. This incident has once again highlighted how fraudsters are using social media and false promises to target families looking for relationships for marriage. Police have advised people to ensure proper identity and background checks before agreeing to any marriage proposal or paying money to unknown organisers.
(with agency input)