Rajasthan groom gets arrested in Assam for trying to marry a minor

After the groom and his relatives reached Assam, the bride's mother opposed the marriage saying her daughter is a minor. A verbal altercation rose and police came to the spot. A total of seven people, including the groom and members of both families were arrested by the police.

Hojai (Assam): A groom from Rajasthan who had come to Assam to get married has landed behind the bars as his would-be bride is a minor.

The incident took place in the Punjabi Basti of Lanka in Assam’s Hojai district amid the ongoing anti-child marriage drive in the state. Apart from the groom, six others, including members of both families, were arrested by the police in child marriage case.

The groom had come with his relatives to marry a minor girl from a family residing in Punjabi Basti. Relatives of the groom said that the marriage was arranged after the bride's family sent them a photograph of the girl.

Before the wedding rituals started, the minor's mother refused to allow the marriage. Soon a verbal altercations broke out between the two families and a ruckus ensued at the venue.

A team from Lanka police station rushed to the spot and tried to bring the situation under control. According to eye-witnesses, seeing police, the groom's relatives tried to escape but the groom and his elder brother were arrested near the railway station while they were on their way to board a train.

Those arrested have been identified as Paremeshwar Jaat (27), his wife Shanti Manki (23), Ramkaran Jaat (30), Pradhandayal Jaat (27) from Ratangarh of Rajasthan's Churu district, Aarati Yadav (60), Gita Yadav (55) from Kheroni in Assam's Karbi Anglong and Sunita Manki (40), from Bihari Gaon in Assam’s Lanka

Police said that investigations are underway and efforts are on to ascertain whether any trafficking gang is involved in this.