Brother-sister marry each other in UP's Hathras to avail CM's mass marriage scheme

In a bizarre incident, a young man married his own sister in the Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh, allegedly to exploit the state’s Chief Minister Mass Marriage Scheme. The shocking case, which has left both the local community and administration reeling, has shed light on the rampant misuse of a government initiative designed to support economically disadvantaged individuals.

The Chief Minister Mass Marriage Scheme, which aims to provide financial and material assistance to newlywed couples from poor backgrounds, has become a target for fraudsters. Under the scheme, married couples are granted household items and a sum of Rs 35,000. However, this noble intent has been undermined by unscrupulous middlemen eager to take advantage of the scheme’s benefits.

The recent case from Maharajganj’s Lakshmipur block exemplifies the extent of such exploitation. On March 5, during a mass marriage event where 38 couples were united, middlemen reportedly persuaded a woman—already married a year prior—to participate in the ceremony again to claim the scheme’s benefits. When her intended groom failed to appear, the intermediaries shockingly convinced the woman’s brother to take his place. The siblings were married according to traditional rituals, without immediate detection of the fraudulent act.

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Once news of this deception reached the authorities, swift action followed. The Block Development Officer (BDO) of Lakshmipur, Amit Mishra, dispatched Secretary Kaushalendra Kushwaha to the woman's home to reclaim the items and financial assistance provided during the sham marriage. According to BDO Mishra, all benefits given to the couple were confiscated once the irregularity came to light.

District Magistrate Anunay Jha has vowed a thorough investigation into the matter, ensuring that those responsible for the fraudulent marriage, including any intermediaries, face appropriate legal action. The scandal has triggered wider concerns about the integrity of the mass marriage scheme, with calls for stricter oversight to prevent further misuse.

The bizarre incident has dominated headlines, further highlighting the vulnerabilities within well-meaning social welfare programs. Authorities in Uttar Pradesh are now under pressure to bolster safeguards and prevent such shocking breaches from reoccurring in the future.