What was projected as a mass marriage ceremony allegedly turned out to be a carefully planned con operation. The accused allegedly targeted families whose sons were struggling to find suitable brides, exploited their emotional vulnerability, showed them photographs of young women downloaded from social media, and collected money in the name of arranging marriages with girls from an orphanage in Indore.
According to police and complainants, the families were informed that the marriages would be solemnised in Dewas on May 25. Some families were allegedly asked to pay between Rs 12,000 and Rs 20,000, while others claimed that Rs 25,000 was collected from each family. The total amount involved in the fraud is estimated to be more than Rs 10 lakh.
The accused allegedly assured the families that young women from an orphanage in Indore would be brought to Dewas for the ceremony. Families were also told that a visit to Mata Tekri would be arranged on May 24, followed by accommodation at the Club Ground in Radhaganj.
On May 24, grooms and their relatives from several districts reached the Radhaganj Club Ground. Some arrived as early as 8 am, dressed for what they believed would be one of the most important days of their lives. However, upon reaching the venue, there was no wedding mandap, no arrangements, no ceremony and, most significantly, no brides.
The families then met two of the organisers, Mukesh Bairagi and his wife Sunita. The couple allegedly continued assuring them that the brides from Indore were on their way. As anxiety among the families intensified, the explanations reportedly kept changing, but the wait continued. From morning until late night, the families were allegedly kept waiting with one excuse after another. By around 10 pm, the families realised they had been cheated.
The investigation has revealed that the accused had allegedly downloaded photographs of models and young women from social media and circulated them through mobile phones to convince the families that brides had already been identified. The victims were allegedly led to believe that the girls were from an orphanage and that proper arrangements had been made for the marriages.
During police questioning, Mukesh Bairagi reportedly claimed that his elder brother, Dinesh Das Bairagi, who works in Indore, had informed him that arrangements needed to be made for the marriage of girls from an orphanage. Mukesh also claimed that Dinesh had provided the contact numbers of the grooms’ families.
According to Mukesh’s statement, after the grooms and their relatives reached Dewas, he contacted Dinesh, who allegedly assured him that he would soon arrive with the brides. However, no one arrived at the venue. Mukesh reportedly told investigators that after repeated calls, Dinesh’s phone was switched off.
Mukesh also reportedly informed police that his father-in-law, Narsingh Das Bairagi, had acted as an intermediary who connected the accused with the victims and was also involved in the scheme.
Police have registered a case against Mukesh Bairagi, Sunita Bairagi, Dinesh Bairagi and Narsingh Das Bairagi. Mukesh and Sunita have been arrested, while police teams have been dispatched to trace Dinesh and Narsingh Das.
Additional Superintendent of Police Jaiveer Bhadoria said police received information about the matter on the evening of May 24. He stated that police immediately intervened, spoke to the complainant, Abhishek, and registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with cheating.
“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,” Bhadoria said.
Another senior police officer, Preeti Katare, stated that the accused who collected the money were not present at the venue when the families arrived. She added that an acquaintance of the accused is currently being questioned and further action will be taken based on statements recorded from the victims.
For the 42 families who travelled to Dewas hoping to return with daughters-in-law, the day ended not with wedding celebrations but with police complaints. For the grooms, the betrayal was public, humiliating and deeply personal — a marriage market trap where the mandap was fake, the brides were fake, but the financial and emotional loss was painfully real.
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