Groom from Dubai duped by Instagram bride, left waiting with ‘baraat’ in Moga
The couple had “fixed” their marriage over the phone and even had their parents speak to each other.
4 min read
Deepak, 24, said that he had transferred Rs 50,000 to Manpreet after she had asked for help with wedding expenses. (Express Photo)With a bright red turban on his head, Deepak, 24, a labourer in Dubai who returned to Punjab about a month ago, travelled from his village Mandiali in Jalandhar district to Moga city on Friday in a car decked with flowers—all set to take home his “would-be” bride.
With a baraat of at least 150 guests, including relatives and friends travelling in several vehicles, Deepak was all set to marry “Manpreet Kaur, a woman from Moga,” whom he had met on the social media platform Instagram. The two had been “in a relationship” for almost three years.
After “dating” on Instagram for over three years, the couple “fixed” their marriage over the phone and even had their parents speak to each other.
With December 6 set as the big day, Deepak, as “asked by Manpreet and her family to bring a baraat of at least 150 guests,” reached Moga on Friday, only to find the Instagram bride “missing” and the venue booked by her “non-existent.”
After arriving in Moga around noon, Deepak made several calls to Manpreet. Initially, she responded, saying some of her relatives would come to escort the baraat to the marriage venue. However, no one arrived by 5 pm, and later, she also switched off her phone.
After waiting for over five hours, the groom and his family went to the local police station to file a complaint against Manpreet Kaur and her family.
The groom and his family reportedly waited for hours. (Express Photo)
In his complaint, Deepak told police that he lived in Dubai and had met Manpreet Kaur on Instagram three years ago. They started chatting, entered a long-distance relationship, and eventually decided to get married. Their parents had also spoken over the phone, after which the wedding was fixed for December 6.
The disheartened groom also told police that Manpreet had introduced herself as a lawyer with a “nice job” in Ferozepur.
“I never met her in person but had seen her photos on Instagram. I now doubt if the photos were genuine. She told me the marriage venue was ‘Rose Garden Palace,’ but when we reached Moga, people said no such venue exists here. When I called her, she told me to wait and said her relatives would escort us to the venue. When no one came, I called her again, and she told me to go near Geeta Bhawan. When we got there and called her again, her phone was switched off. We have been duped. We want justice,” said the groom, almost in tears.
He added that he had also transferred Rs 50,000 to Manpreet after she had asked for help with wedding expenses.
Prem Chand, the groom’s father, said they had fixed the marriage after speaking to the bride’s mother over the phone, but they had never met anyone from her family in person.
Prem Chand (right), the groom’s father, said they had fixed the marriage after speaking to the bride’s mother over the phone. (Express Photo)
“We have been cheated. We arrived with a baraat of 150 guests only because they asked us to. We had initially proposed coming with just 5-10 people, but they insisted the baraat must have 150 guests. We also spent a lot of money decorating vehicles, arranging sweets, and hiring a photographer. When we arrived, we learned the venue they named doesn’t even exist. This is pure cheating,” he said.
ASI Harjinder Singh, the investigating officer from Moga City South police station, said the complaint had been received and a probe initiated.
“We will identify the woman using her phone number and check her call records. The groom and his family came to the police station after waiting for almost five hours, but no one came to receive them. The groom and bride had met on Instagram, and the marriage was fixed over the phone,” said the ASI.
You May Like
Photos
