A wealthy man was rejected by a potential bride’s family after he refused to accept dowry, a case that has sparked discussion online. The incident was shared on Reddit by a user claiming to be related to the groom. The 27-year-old groom, according to the Reddit post, owns luxury cars, comes from a family with real estate and hospitality businesses, and has ancestral property. He earns enough to pay a surcharge on his income – applicable for those earning over ₹50 lakh – and drives a BMW.

He eventually found a bride who appeared perfect on paper. She was described as “smart”, “career-focused” and having “good family values”. Both families seemed happy with the match initially.

Groom refuses dowry

During discussions, the bride’s father asked the groom what he wanted as dowry. While dowry is illegal in India, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of ₹15,000 or the value of the dowry, the practice continues in some communities.

The groom refused all offers, which reportedly included a duplex flat and a Range Rover. After his refusal, the bride’s father chose to call off the wedding.

“His reasoning? He said, ‘A high-value man knows his worth. If he’s refusing dowry, there must be some defect in him,’” the Reddit user wrote. The father also drew an analogy, saying, “Xiaomi/Vivo phones are 15k-20k, but people still pay over a lakh for iPhones because they’re valuable.”

Reddit weighs in

The post has sparked a discussion online, gathering over 500 comments.

“Sometimes dowry is a bargaining chip if things turn sour. And for people who have money, they want something else to hold that upper hand which is what seems to be the case here,” one user wrote.

“The biggest bargaining chip for cutting their own daughters off their will,” another said.

“He was offering dowry so that if things go south and in most cases like these they do, the bride can then file cases of dowry harassment and extract a huge alimony,” a third commented.