11 more couples found to have married again in UP mass wedding programme

Greater Noida: The Gautam Budh Nagar police on Friday lodged an FIR against 11 couples, after they were found to be allegedly remarrying under the mass wedding scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government, which took place on February 24 at YMCA complex in Greater Noida.

The mass wedding scheme came under the scanner after it came to light that many married couples had participated in the ceremony for monetary gains on Friday. However, all the 11 couples are absconding, police said.

According to the police, the FIR has been filed based on the complaint given by Chief Development Officer (CDO) who is heading the committee formed by the district magistrate to look into the matter and found 11 more couples at fault.

"While inspecting about the couples, it came to notice that 11 more couples from Bambabaad village of Badalpur are found to be at fault as these couples were already married and had gone through the procedure only to avail the benefits under the mass wedding scheme of the government," said Anil Kumar Singh, chief development officer (CDO) of the district.

"We have booked them under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

"However, all the couples are absconding from the area. We have formed teams to nab them," said Mukesh Kumar, Station House Officer of Badalpur Police Station.

Earlier, the district administration had lodged an FIR against four couples and Gram Pradhan Babita Bhati of Cheeti village and her husband Dharmendra Bhati for misusing the 'Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah Yojana' scheme by enabling married couples to participate, in which three men were arrested out of the six.