Fake Brides, Real Betrayal: 42 Families Duped In Madhya Pradesh Marriage Scam

In a fraud where dreams of marriage were turned into a money-making trap, 42 families from various districts of Madhya Pradesh were allegedly cheated in the name of a mass wedding ceremony in Dewas. The grooms arrived, the families waited, and the rituals were expected to begin, but the brides never came.

What was promised as a mass marriage ceremony allegedly turned out to be a carefully planned con. The accused allegedly targeted families whose sons were struggling to find suitable brides, exploited their emotional vulnerability, showed them photographs of young women downloaded from social media, and collected money in the name of arranging marriages with girls from an orphanage in Indore.

According to police and complainants, the families were told that marriages would be solemnised in Dewas on May 25. Some were asked to pay between Rs 12,000 and Rs 20,000, while others alleged that Rs 25,000 was collected from each family. The total amount involved in the fraud is estimated to be over Rs 10 lakh.

The accused allegedly assured the families that young women from an orphanage in Indore would be brought to Dewas for the ceremony. The families were also told that a visit to Mata Tekri would be arranged on May 24, followed by accommodation at the Club Ground in Radhaganj.

On May 24, grooms and their relatives from several districts reached the Radhaganj Club Ground. Some arrived as early as 8 am, dressed for what they believed would be one of the most important days of their lives. But at the venue, there was no wedding mandap, no arrangements, no ceremony and, most importantly, no brides.

The families met two of the organisers, Mukesh Bairagi and his wife Sunita. The couple allegedly kept assuring them that the brides from Indore were on their way. As anxiety grew, the explanations changed, but the wait continued. From morning till late night, the families were allegedly kept hanging with one excuse after another. By around 10 pm, it became clear that they had been cheated.

The investigation has revealed that the accused had allegedly downloaded photographs of models and young women from social media and circulated them on mobile phones to convince the families that brides had been identified. The families were led to believe that the girls were from an orphanage and that the marriages would be conducted through proper arrangements.

When questioned by police, Mukesh Bairagi reportedly claimed that his elder brother, Dinesh Das Bairagi, who works in Indore, had told him that arrangements had to be made for the marriage of girls from an orphanage. Mukesh also claimed that Dinesh had provided the phone numbers of the grooms' families.

According to Mukesh's statement, after the grooms and their families reached Dewas, he called Dinesh, who allegedly assured him that he would soon arrive with the brides. But no one turned up. Mukesh told police that after repeated calls, Dinesh's phone was switched off.

Mukesh also reportedly told investigators that his father-in-law, Narsingh Das Bairagi, had acted as the intermediary who connected the accused with the victims and was also involved in the scheme.

Police have now registered a case against Mukesh Bairagi, Sunita Bairagi, Dinesh Bairagi and Narsingh Das Bairagi. Mukesh and Sunita have been arrested, while police teams have been sent to trace Dinesh and Narsingh Das.

Additional Superintendent of Police Jaiveer Bhadoria said the police received information about the matter on the evening of May 24. He said police immediately intervened, spoke to the complainant, Abhishek, and registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with cheating.

"The prime accused, Mukesh and his wife, have been arrested. We are gathering details about their modus operandi. Any additional complaints received at the police station in this matter will also be incorporated into the investigation. Since the accused are from Vidisha district, a team has also been sent there to collect further information," Bhadoria said.

Another senior police officer, Preeti Katare, said the accused who collected the money were not found at the venue when the families arrived. She said an acquaintance of the accused is being questioned and further action will be taken on the basis of statements recorded from the victims.

For the 42 families who reached Dewas hoping to return with daughters-in-law, the day ended not with wedding songs, but with police complaints. And for the grooms, the betrayal was public, humiliating and deeply personal - a marriage market trap where the mandap was fake and the brides were fake, but the loss was painfully real.