Groom missing, woman marries her brother for wedding scheme benefits

Digital Desk: In a recent revelation exposing the extent of fraud within the Chief Minister's Mass Marriage Scheme in Uttar Pradesh, a distressing incident has come to light. Preeti Yadav, in a desperate bid to reap the benefits of the scheme, resorted to marrying her brother when her intended groom failed to make an appearance at the wedding venue.

The incident unfolded during a mass wedding event in Maharajganj on March 5, as disclosed by the local authorities. Preeti Yadav, allegedly influenced by intermediaries, opted to wed her brother, Krishna, instead of her absent groom, Ramesh Yadav.

Shocking details emerged, revealing that the duplicitous couple was already married and had schemed to exploit the mass wedding initiative to pocket the financial incentives amounting to ₹51,000 earmarked for beneficiaries. Consequently, a thorough investigation was initiated, leading to the registration of a case against the siblings involved.

In response to this alarming trend of fraudulent enrollments, the government has taken stringent measures. A village development officer has been suspended, and actions are underway against the official responsible for verifying the documents of the deceitful applicants.

This deceit isn't an isolated incident. Just months prior, a similar scam surfaced in Ballia, where hundreds of ineligible individuals fraudulently enrolled in the scheme. Subsequently, the authorities launched extensive investigations, resulting in several arrests, including government officials.

To curb such malpractices, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced plans to integrate Aadhaar details with marriage registrations, ensuring transparency and thwarting fraudulent activities. Additionally, measures like issuing marriage certificates on the spot during the events aim to mitigate the recurrence of such scams.

As the authorities intensify their efforts to safeguard the integrity of welfare schemes, the recent incidents underscore the critical need for stringent oversight and preventive measures to protect the intended beneficiaries from exploitation and uphold the integrity of such initiatives.