Grooms Left Waiting for Brides That Never Came
An unusual fraud case has surfaced in India’s Madhya Pradesh, where more than 40 grooms were left waiting for their brides at a mass wedding ceremony, only to realize they had been duped.
Abhishek Verma’s family was looking for a suitable match when a man from a nearby village approached them, claiming to be a marriage matchmaker. The man allegedly told families they could select an orphan girl from a photo album and pay around $200 to participate in a mass wedding ceremony .
On the wedding day in late May, around 40 grooms, including Verma, arrived at the venue at around 8 a.m., dressed in their wedding attire. However, the brides failed to turn up. The grooms waited for several hours before realizing they had been scammed.
According to police officer Preeti Katare, the victims were men aged between 20 and 40, mostly from rural areas. She said several other victims may not have reported the fraud due to embarrassment. Police have registered cases against the alleged matchmaker and his associates and launched an investigation.
