Bihar: Court Nullifies ‘Pakadua Vivah’, ‘Still Getting Threats,’ Claims Victim

In December 2017, Vinod Kumar, the victim of forced marriage, had gone to Patna to attend his friend's wedding where he was kidnapped.

Patna: A family Court in Patna nullified a forced marriage or ‘pakadua vivah,’ yesterday, of an official of Bokaro Steel Plant.

In December 2017, Vinod Kumar, the victim of forced marriage, had gone to Patna to attend his friend’s wedding where he was kidnapped.

“A man, Surendra Yadav called me home, beat me up, threatened me and made me marry his sister at gunpoint. Police didn’t cooperate at all. Court’s order is a relief but those people are roaming around freely and are still threatening me,” said Vinod.

After this incident, a video circulated online where the man was seen trying to resist and the girl’s family shouts at him, ‘Shut up – we’re only marrying you, not hanging you.’

Vinod Kumar had reportedly travelled to Patna by train with a friend on December 2 to attend another friend’s wedding at Islampur.

Men, armed with guns, forced him to sit in a Scorpio and brought him to Surendra Yadav’s house. The forced wedding took place at Pandarak in Patna district.

“He (Vinod) was forced to marry the girl at her house at gunpoint on December 3. He was abducted by her brother, Surendra Yadav, in a Scorpio car the previous night. Police are not helping us,” said Awadesh, Vinod’s brother, adding that it was a conspiracy to abduct his brother and force him to get married.

The Pandarak police station has asked the boy’s family to file a complaint at Mokama as the incident occurred there.