Bihar shocker! Teacher becomes victim of ‘Pakadwa Vivah’; kidnapped, forced to marry woman at gunpoint
- Avnish Kumar, on his way to school in Bihar's Katihar, was kidnapped, beaten and forcibly married to a girl he was accused of being in a four-year-long relationship with.
Once infamous for 'Pakadwa Vivah' – wherein unmarried men are forced to marry with a gun pointed at their heads, the instances are now becoming common in Bihar again.
A similar incident of forced marriage on Friday took place in Bihar's Katihar, where a teacher – Avnish Kumar – was abducted on his way to the school where he was employed, reported NDTV.
According to the report, Avnish was followed by two Scorpios who intercepted his e-rickshaw. Soon, a dozen unknown men got out of the vehicles and pointed guns at Avnish. He was then kidnapped, beaten and forcibly married to a girl he was accused of being in a four-year-long relationship with.
Police said that in 2024, Bihar witnessed the highest reported cases of forced weddings in the last 30 years.
What has happened?
Recently, Avnish cleared the Bihar Public Service Commission exam and became a teacher. A resident of Rajaura in Bihar's Begursarai district, Avnish is posted at a middle school in Katihar district.
He was allegedly in a four-year relationship with Gunjan, a resident of the Lakhisarai district. But despite securing a government teaching position, he allegedly refused to formalise the relationship into marriage.
Stating their relationship was serious, Gunjan mentioned both visited hotels frequently and shared stays at Avnish's residence in Katihar.
"He had promised to marry me and start a family," NDTV quoted Gunjan as alleging. "He had also taken me to his school. We were in love for four years. But when I informed my family about it, and we approached him for marriage, he refused. This was unacceptable," she added.
Before being kidnapped, Gunjan's family discovered the couple together in Katihar. After this, Gunjan's relatives allegedly kidnapped Avnish and forcibly married him in a temple with Gunjan.
A viral video also gained momentum in social media. In it, Avnish is held by several men while Gunjan, dressed in a wedding saree and vermilion on her head, stands nearby. Apart from this, Avnish is distressed and is coerced into completing marriage rituals under duress.
What happened next?
After the forced marriage, Gunjan accompanied her family to Avnish's home in Rajaura. But Avnish reportedly managed to escape and his family refused to accept her as part of their household.
Now Gunjan has filed a complaint with the police and sought justice.
Avnish denies allegations:
Meanwhile, Avnish has denied allegations of being in a romantic relationship with Gunjan. He said, as NDTV quoted, "I had no love for that girl. She harassed me by repeatedly calling and stalking me. On the day of the incident, some men kidnapped me in a Scorpio vehicle while I was on my way to school. They beat me, forcibly applied vermilion, and tried to perform rituals. I protested throughout."
Among other details, Avnish has also filed a complaint with the police and alleged that he was kidnapped and was physically assaulted.
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Business NewsNewsTrendsBihar shocker! Teacher becomes victim of ‘Pakadwa Vivah’; kidnapped, forced to marry woman at gunpoint
First Published:14 Dec 2024, 08:32 PM IST
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