Uttar Pradesh mass wedding sees married woman 'wed' her brother to get cash, gifts

On the day of the wedding, the woman not only garlanded her brother but also performed the other rituals including the 'saptapadi' (going round the fire seven times by the couple). The 'couple' were then given the gift items after the wedding.

Lucknow: Within days of videos purportedly showing brides garlanding themselves in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district at a mass wedding event under the Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivah Yojna, in yet another similar incident, a woman was made to marry her brother.

The incident occurred at a community wedding function in Maharajganj district in the state, allegedly by intermediaries, in an apparent bid to get the cash and other benefits provided by the government under the scheme.

According to the reports, a community wedding function was organised in Laxmipur block area in the district a few days back in which 38 couples had got married in the presence of senior district officials.

It later turned out that one of the women, who had got herself registered for the event, was already married and her husband worked in a metro city. The intermediaries somehow persuaded the woman to be the bride and have her brother pose as her groom.

On the day of the wedding, the woman not only garlanded her brother but also performed the other rituals including the 'saptapadi' (going round the fire seven times by the couple). The 'couple' were given the gift items after the wedding, the reports said.

Block Development Officer (BDO) of Laxmipur block Amit Mishra said that a probe was ordered into the matter. ''The gift items given to the couple have been taken back,'' he added.

Mishra said that the cash assistance given under the scheme would not be given to the couple. ''We will take strict action against those found guilty,'' he added.

Earlier also irregularities were reported in the community wedding scheme in different parts of the state. Barely a few days back, videos went viral on social media purportedly showing the brides garlanding themselves at a community wedding function in Ballia district. A similar fraud was reported from Jhansi also.