Bride calls off wedding after groom, family demand dowry

A woman dentist called off her marriage with a doctor after a last-minute dowry demand by the groom's family on the wedding day.

The bride, daughter of senior professor Dr Anil Saxena, was set to tie the nuptial knot on Sunday evening with Dr Saksham Madhok, an assistant professor at a medical college in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, when the groom and his family suddenly demanded Rs 1 crore.

"We were in deep shock. At the engagement on Saturday, we gave the groom a car and five gold coins of 10 grams each. But on the day of marriage they sought more gifts, cash and jewellery worth Rs 1 crore," Dr Saxena said.

The woman's family said they had already spent around Rs 30 to 35 lakh on dowry and arrangements for the wedding.

Confronted with the fresh demand, Dr Saxena and his wife spoke to their daughter Dr Rashi, who spoke to the groom over the phone.

"On finding that the groom was adamant, my daughter refused to marry him," Dr Saxena said.

They then conveyed the decision to call off the wedding to the groom's family and filed a complaint against the groom, his sister, brother-in-law and his parents at Nayapura police station.

However, the bride's family played the gracious host and broke the news to the guests only after the wedding feast was served.

The guests appreciated the woman's decision to call off the wedding and said it would inspire other women to fight the menace.

"My parents had planned a grand wedding and had given all possible gifts and cash but the groom and his family were expecting more cash," the woman said.

"Noticing the greed for dowry by the groom and his family members, I decided to call off the wedding," she said.

Harish Bharti, circle in-charge at Nayapura police station, said the investigation is underway.