Man pays ₹36 lakh to marry woman he met only video call, regrets it 9 days later

A 32-year-old Chinese man who spent about ₹ 36 lakh to marry a woman he had never met in person sought a divorce just 9 days after the wedding , saying he regretted the decision. The pair had only a 5-minute video call before deciding to marry. (Unsplash/Representational image) The man, identified by his surname Gu, is from Zhejiang province in eastern China and is the only child in his family. He said that pressure from his parents played a role in his decision to agree to the marriage so quickly. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Gu had paid 200 yuan (around ₹ 2,700) to join a local matchmaking centre, which introduced him to 3 women from his area. None of them showed interest in him. The matchmaker then suggested looking for brides from other provinces and assured the family that a marriage could be arranged within 2 days. Gu and his family agreed to continue with the process. In April, the agency introduced Gu to a 30-year-old woman from Shaanxi province. The profile shared by the agency claimed that she had no debts, no criminal record and no serious illnesses. The profile also stated that she was willing to enter a “flash marriage” and move far away after marriage. The pair had only a 5-minute video call before deciding to marry. During the call, Gu said he asked her about her family and job. She said that she worked as a salesperson, but most of the other questions were answered by the matchmaker. The agency also promised to provide the woman’s credit history and premarital medical examination reports before the marriage. Trusting the information and without meeting the woman in person or interacting with the family, Gu and his relatives agreed to go ahead with the wedding. The outlet reported that Gu’s family spent a total of 265,000 yuan (around ₹ 36 lakh), including a bride price of 100,000 yuan (around ₹ 13.9 lakh) and a matchmaking fee of 160,000 yuan (around ₹ 22.2 lakh). The matchmaker later escorted the woman to Zhejiang, and the couple registered their marriage 3 days later. At that point, Gu’s family had not met the bride’s parents. However, the problems started appearing soon. What happened after marriage? After the wedding, the documents promised by the matchmaking centre were not provided. When Gu took his wife to the bank to check her credit report, he discovered that she had debts amounting to 100,000 yuan. The woman reportedly explained that the liabilities belonged to her former boyfriend and were unrelated to her. Gu also became concerned after finding that the name linked to her mobile payment account was different from the one he knew. The next day, the woman also told him that she had elevated liver enzyme levels and needed to lose weight, though she said that the condition would not affect her fertility. Just 9 days after the marriage, Gu demanded a divorce. He said that he regretted making such a major decision without properly knowing his partner. The woman initially agreed to the divorce, but later changed her mind and filed a case against Gu. She alleged that Gu’s decision had caused her depression and submitted a medical diagnosis as evidence. She also sought 50,000 yuan (around ₹ 7 lakh) in compensation, accusing him of expecting her to wear make-up, do household chores and find a job. Meanwhile. Gu filed a separate lawsuit against the matchmaking agency seeking a refund of the 160,000 yuan fee. However, the agency refused, arguing that it had fulfilled its obligation by introducing the couple. It also suggested that the pair might have staged the divorce to recover the money.