Ranchi: Bride, groom's kin clash as wedding called off after woman turns down dowry demand
India Today
A groom's family called off a wedding after the bride's kin turned down his additional dowry demands in Ranchi on Friday night. This led to a clash between the bride and groom's kin and later on, a police complaint was filed.
In an unexpected turn of events, a bride's family from Jharkhand's Ranchi district cancelled the wedding after the bride's kin turned down dowry demands of around Rs 5 lakh rupees, including gold, on the wedding day. On the day of the wedding, the groom's family asked for more dowry and when the bride's father expressed his inability to pay more, the groom called off the wedding.
Later on, the bride also cancelled the wedding and this recent incident holds testimony to the fact that dowry is a social evil that has not been uprooted from the country yet. The family of the bride have filed a complaint against the would-be groom's family under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Dowry Prohibition Act and police are now investigating the matter.
The bride was supposed to tie a knot and the stage was all set for the 'Varmala' ceremony, but the dowry demand from the groom's side triggered a clash between both groups.
The barat had arrived on Friday night at Kalash Banquet Hall near Mahavir Chowk and the sudden demand came as a shock to the bride's for bride's mother Kaushalya Devi, who said that at the time of roka (engagement), they had given around Rs 2.5 lakh cash, gold rings, a two-wheeler, a gold chain and other luxorious items.
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On Friday night, the day of the marriage, the groom's family asked for more cash and gold at the time of the Varmala ceremony, the bride's mother said. The father of the groom, who had already given numerous items as dowry, expressed his inability to pay more dowry, which prompted the groom's family to call off the wedding.
This led to a verbal spat between the bride's and groom's families, which, later on, triggered an altercation. The members of both the groups thrashed each other with chairs and utensils and amidst all this, the groom made an attempt to apply vermillion (sindoor) on the bride's forehead.
