“I had suspected there was something fishy”, says Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Ketki Singh as the government forms a three-member committee to probe into the mass wedding scam that came to light recently. Over 500 ‘couples’ reportedly got ‘married’ in the event allegedly for government benefits.
The Uttar Pradesh police has arrested 15 persons including two government officials for their involvement in the scam. The wedding fraud came to light after a video showed several brides, without grooms, garlanding themselves. According to reports, the wedding happened in Balia, Uttar Pradesh on January 25.
As many as 568 couples got married in the event. However, it was found later that several were paid to pose as brides and grooms, NDTV reported. One of the villagers told NDTV that boys and girls were paid ₹500 to ₹2,000 to pose as brides and grooms in the event. “Some women had no one. They were wearing the varmala (garland) themselves,” a villager told the publication. A 19-year-old told NDTV that he was offered money for posing as groom.
"They informed me just two days before the event. I had suspected there was something fishy. But now a complete investigation is being done," Singh told the publication.
According to reports, the government pays Rs 35,000 to the girl, Rs 10,000 for buying matrimonial materials and Rs 6,000 for the event under the scheme. Authorities said funds would be transferred to the beneficiaries only after completion of investigation.
