Madhya Pradesh: 42 Grooms Arrive for Mass Wedding, but Brides Are Missing; Four Booked in Fraud Case

A wedding fraud case in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district has exposed how dozens of men were allegedly lured with promises of marriage, only to find no brides at the venue. On Sunday, May 24, several men and their families arrived at Mata Tekri temple in Dewas for what they believed would be a mass wedding ceremony the next day. Some came with garlands, relatives, and hired cars, expecting marriage rituals to begin soon. By night, however, no brides had arrived and no weddings took place.

Police have registered a case against four people in connection with the alleged scam and arrested two of them. Dewas Additional Superintendent of Police Jaiveer Singh Bhadauria said the matter involved a planned scheme in which many people were deceived on the pretext of marriage and money was collected from them. Investigators say the suspects assured the families that girls from an orphanage in Indore would be married off to them.

According to victims and police, the operation began by contacting men who were looking for brides. They were told that eligible girls living in an orphanage in Indore were ready for marriage. Registration fees were collected from the men, and online documents were also submitted. Photos of the supposed brides were sent to the grooms and their families on mobile phones. Some complainants later claimed that the images had been taken from social media.

Several families alleged that the scammers used the name of the chief minister to build trust. One complainant told BBC Hindi that they were promised a grand ceremony, a government-backed event, and even a cheque of Rs 51,000. He said the group was approached through a distant relative and that the mention of the chief minister and the display of photos made the offer seem genuine. Some families were also told that wedding gifts and dowry-related items would be provided.

The victims said they were instructed not to perform pre-wedding rituals such as haldi and mehendi in advance, because everything would be organized in Dewas. One complainant said he arrived with nine members of his family after being told to reach Mata Tekri temple at 8 a.m. on May 24. He said at least 42 grooms were present there, many around the age of 40, while some were even in their 60s.

Another victim, Vikas Meena, said he paid Rs 25,000 for the marriage arrangement. Omprakash Prajapati, who came from Bhopal, said he paid Rs 12,000 after selecting a bride from photos shared on his phone. Families said they waited the whole day as organizers kept assuring them that the brides were on the way from Indore. By evening, excuses continued, but no one arrived. When the crowd grew angry, police were called.

A woman named Rajkumari, whose brother had come for marriage, said the families had submitted documents online and were told that a woman would arrive shortly to finalize things. But by midnight nothing had happened. Later, organizer Mukesh Baiga and his wife Sunita claimed they too had been cheated, saying Mukesh’s elder brother Dinesh Baiga had handled the arrangement and funds. Police say Mukesh has been arrested and further investigation is underway.