On Sunday, a college in Hasanpur, Uttar Pradesh, was transformed into a wedding venue for a mass marriage event. Over 300 couples were present, with their families eagerly awaiting the ceremony. However, things took an unexpected turn when a group of uninvited guests arrived, disrupting the wedding of one bride, Asma. It was soon revealed that Asma’s in-laws had arrived to stop the proceedings because Asma was already married.
Asma, who had wed Noor Mohammad three years ago, was in the process of divorcing him after a series of disputes. Six months prior, she had returned to her parent’s home, and the divorce case was still pending in court. However, Asma’s reason for participating in the mass wedding was rather surprising: she wanted to buy buffaloes.
Upon learning about a government-run mass marriage event offering benefits like Rs 35,000 for the bride under the Chief Minister’s Mass Marriage Scheme, Asma decided to marry her cousin, Jaber Ahmed, in order to take advantage of the scheme. The two had planned to divide the financial support and gifts offered by the government, which included items such as a dinner set, clothing for both the bride and groom, silver jewelry, and a lunch box. They had intended to use the money to buy buffaloes.
When Asma’s father-in-law showed up at the venue with proof of her first marriage, the Chief Development Officer, Ashwini Kumar, referred the matter to the police. A formal case has been filed against both Asma and Jaber Ahmed for attempting to exploit the scheme and obstructing government duties.
