At 3:07 a.m., a rumble of heavy boots hit the pavement behind Dewas's old colonnade, and no brides followed. The grooms, eyes bright with nerves, marched straight into the packed hall, where a dozen families from across Madhya Pradesh stood in line, clutching envelopes with promises stitched onto every page.
But here's the problem: the charade was orchestrated to profit from the painful urgency of young men who had yet to find suitable matches. The plotters sent smooth‑spoken emails to hopeful parents, decked out with glossy photographs scavenged from social media. They claimed that these girls were coming from an orphanage in Indore for a grand mass wedding on May 25, neatly bound together by shared ribbons and the hope of instant love.
Police later confirmed what the families had heard. Between Rs 12,000 and Rs 20,000 was tendered by most, while a few families, swayed by promises of more elaborate arrangements, produced a neat Rs 25,000 cheque. In sum, the sting amounts to more than Rs 10 lakh—enough to keep a middle‑class family afloat or bring them to the brink of bankruptcy.
One vicarious detail that slammed the truth into razor‑sharp focus was the “visit to Mata Tekri” scheduled for May 24. Families were told they would see the shrine set aglow, that the deities would bless their children's unions. Yet, the very next morning, the three couples stood in the parking lot of a rundown club ground at Radhaganj, alone and bewildered, clutching blindfolded invitations that promised nothing.
The impact of this fraud runs beyond the broken promises. Orphanages across India are now wary of social media. Parents who once weren’t ready to believe a good story; now they are both skeptical and haunted, knowing a single click could lead to a double blow: loss of trust and money. The legal system has been alerted. Current proceedings aim to detain the conspirators whose lies hinged on honesty rather than hope.
Meanwhile, the families are banding together, pulling meagre amounts of evidence, and petitioning for restitution. The question remains: can a system built on faith and romance also guard against the dark corners of ambition?
