In an incident reminiscent of the Hollywood blockbuster Runaway Bride, a young man in Hisar found to his dismay that his would-be bride had not only ditched him, but duped him of money too.

The marriage procession of Rajesh, which reached Kharkhara village in Hisar district on Wednesday, had to return empty-handed to Basandi village in Sonepat on Thursday after no trace was found of his would-be bride Promila and her brother Jai Kishen.

The agitated members of the marriage party called a meeting of the village panchayat on Wednesday night, only to be told that no persons by the names had ever lived in the village, family members of the groom said.

It was only then that Rajesh realised he had been duped, and had lost the money he gave to Jai Kishen at the time of his engagement ceremony on April 18, Rajesh's family members added.