A wedding ceremony turned into a tragedy for the Bride’s family in the Islamnagar area of Khatima town in Uttarakhand when her father died due to a heart attack following a dispute over dowry and the ‘mehr’ amount.
Angry relatives of the bride, joined by locals, held the groom and several wedding guests hostage and assaulted them. Authorities had to intervene and deploy a heavy police force to prevent further unrest.
Upon receiving information about the clash, the Khatima Kotwali police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.
Police said that an investigation into the incident is underway.
Security has been tightened in the area, with additional forces deployed to maintain law and order.
The heart attack at the wedding
According to a PTI report, police said that the wedding procession for the daughter of a local contractor, identified as Sadiq, had reached the Khushboo Marriage Hall from Bara Faridpur in Uttar Pradesh‘s Bareilly. The bride’s family is based in Islamnagar.
The report further stated that while the initial reception proceeded smoothly, a sharp disagreement arose between the two sides during the solemnisation of the nikah over the mehr amount and alleged dowry demands.
The bride’s family alleged that the groom’s side had been making demands for additional dowry since the marriage was finalised. They claimed the demands escalated from a scooter to a motorcycle, and finally to ₹1 lakh cash.
Moreover, the dispute spilt over to the mehr, a mandatory marriage gift given by the groom to the bride in Islamic tradition. The bride’s family insisted on fixing the sum at ₹5 lakh, whereas the groom’s side refused to go beyond ₹21,000.
Police officials said that witnesses told them that despite discussions and attempts at mediation, the impasse could not be resolved.
Amid the rising tensions, the bride’s father Sadiq’s health deteriorated suddenly. His family rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the police said.
Relatives claimed that the severe mental stress caused by the altercation triggered the fatal cardiac arrest.
The uproar
As news of the death reached the venue, anger erupted among the bride’s family and locals.
The agitated crowd detained the groom, Mohammad Arif, his brother, Mohammad Khalid, and his brother-in-law, Ata Hussain, along with several other guests inside the marriage hall. Some members of the wedding party were also allegedly assaulted.
Many of the wedding guests tried to flee across the roof of an adjacent house so as to escape the violence. During the scramble, a portion of the roof collapsed, resulting in injuries to a few people, the PTI report said.
Police officials said that statements from both sides are being recorded and further action will be taken based on the available facts.
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