Forty-two families showed up to a mass wedding ceremony in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, India, on May 24 dressed for one of the most important days of their lives.

The brides never came.

What they thought was a wedding turned out to be an alleged elaborate marriage scam. According to NDTV, the families had allegedly been targeted by scammers who exploited their difficulty in finding suitable brides for their sons, promising them matches with young women from an orphanage called Matru Chhaya Ashram in Indore.

Families came dressed and ready

Per Sin Chew Daily, some grooms brought along sweets, gift boxes, and a large group of relatives and friends.

Families had been told the wedding venue and all related arrangements would be fully handled by the organisers. Some were even instructed not to perform the pre-wedding turmeric ritual beforehand.

Groom-to-be Ashok said:

"They even told us not to have the Haldi or Mehendi rituals done beforehand."

One of the victims, Rahul, said his family had registered online and been promised a match with a woman from an orphanage.

He said:

"Whenever we ask to see photos of the bride, they send us pictures downloaded from social media."

According to Sin Chew Daily, police investigations later confirmed that all photos of the so-called brides had been stolen from social media, and the women in the images had no connection to the weddings.

Families kept waiting from morning until late night

Some grooms and their relatives arrived as early as 8am on the day of the incident. But when they reached the venue, there were no wedding decorations, no ceremony setup, and no brides, per Sin Chew Daily.

Organisers Mukesh Bairagi and his wife Sunita were present and allegedly kept assuring families the brides from Indore were on their way.

According to Sin Chew Daily, families were reportedly strung along with changing excuses from morning until around 10pm, when an angry crowd staged a protest, prompting police intervention.

The families allegedly paid between Rs 12,000 and Rs 20,000 (S$160 to S$267) each. The total amount involved in the alleged fraud is estimated to be over Rs 10 lakh (approximately S$13,400), per NDTV.

Organiser blamed brother, father-in-law for scam

When questioned by police, Mukesh claimed his brother, based in Indore, was responsible for arranging the marriages and had provided the list of grooms' families, per Sin Chew Daily.

After all the families arrived, the brother allegedly continued to promise over the phone that he was bringing the brides. His phone was eventually switched off, and he could not be reached.

Mukesh also allegedly accused his father-in-law of involvement, specifically in contacting the groom's families.

Police file cheating case

According to NDTV, police have registered a cheating case against various individuals.

Additional Superintendent of Police Jaiveer Bhadoria said:

"The prime accused, Mukesh and his wife, have been arrested. We are gathering details about their modus operandi. Any additional complaints received at the police station in this matter will also be incorporated into the investigation. Since the accused are from Vidisha district, a team has also been sent there to collect further information."

Police noted the fraud ring had long allegedly targeted men in remote areas who were poor or struggling to find a partner, luring them with promises of brides from orphanages or low-income families willing to marry immediately, and promoting group weddings as a cost-saving option, per Sin Chew Daily.