A 35-year-old man, already a father of three, fraudulently married a 24-year-old woman at a mass wedding event in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha to claim government benefits.
The fraud came to the fore after authorities received a tip-off following the ceremony, held in Gajraula under the Chief Minister’s mass wedding scheme on Sunday.
Kapil Kumar, a resident of Salempur village, allegedly stepped in as the groom after the original groom failed to show up. The bride’s family, eager to avail the Rs 51,000 financial assistance under the scheme for below-poverty-line couples, convinced him to perform the wedding rituals.
After the fraud came to light, the gram panchayat secretary was suspended for negligence.
A fraud case was also ordered against Kumar, and the woman, Priyanka Rani from Bawanpura, reported the Times of India.
The gifts provided to the couple, including household essentials, were confiscated.
District Social Welfare Officer Pankhuri Jain said that the verification process had been overlooked.
“The village development officer is responsible for verifying applicants before approving them for the scheme. The negligence led to this fraud,” she said.
Kumar later admitted that he knew the bride’s family and agreed to the arrangement to help them secure government benefits.
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