An alarming incident has come to light in the Darbhanga district of Bihar, where a groom who came to marry a Hindu woman turned out to be a Muslim man. However, the bride’s family found out about the real identity of the groom in time, and the marriage ceremony was cancelled. The bride’s family held the groom and the people accompanying him captive. Five people have been arrested by the police in connection with the case.
According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, the incident happened in a village under the Jale Police Station area in the Darbhanga district of Bihar. A Muslim woman named Ikra Khatun had arranged the marriage of a Hindu woman with a man hailing from the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. However, on the day of the marriage, the bride’s family was taken aback after they saw a different man dressed as the groom from the one who was shown to them in a picture. The bride’s family said that the groom, who arrived at their house, looked much older than the one shown in the picture.
As the bride’s family grew suspicious, they detained the groom and his relatives. The bride’s family said that they were defrauded, as the groom was a Muslim and had forged an Aadhar Card under a Hindu name. The mother and uncle of the bride said that Ikra Khatoon lied to them and tried to fraudulently get their daughter married to a Muslim man. They said that Khatun was planning to sell her daughter in Rajasthan after marriage.
“The marriage was arranged by showing a photograph of a different man. The broker, Iqra Khatun, is involved in the illicit trade of buying and selling men. The broker fabricated a fake Aadhaar card to change his religious identity from Muslim to Hindu. Only six guests attended the wedding procession. Such a meagre number of guests is unheard of, even in cities like Delhi or Mumbai,” the bride’s mother said. She added that Khatun paid her ₹20,000 in exchange for the marriage.
As per the report, this is not the first time Khatun has arranged such a marriage. She also arranged the marriage of two other women from the same area with men from Rajasthan. According to locals, the women came back to their paternal house soon after marriage, as they were being forced into prostitution. The bride’s family has accused Ikra Khatun of arranging marriages of men from Rajasthan with women from Bihar in exchange for money. They said that after marriage, the young brides are pushed into prostitution in Rajasthan.
Ikra Khatun hails from the Jale police station area and has lived in Rajasthan for about 9 years. Her husband, Noor Alam, works in the bag manufacturing trade; the couple has three sons, all of whom are currently pursuing their studies. At present, she resides in Shivdhara, within the Darbhanga district.
Station House Officer Sandeep Kumar Pal said that, based on a complaint filed by the bride’s family, five individuals have been arrested in connection with this case. Interrogations into the entire network are currently underway. The bride’s family has demanded compensation for the expenses incurred during the wedding. Meanwhile, the groom had denied that he is a Muslim. He was also carrying an Aadhar Card to prove his Hindu identity.
