Families defy panchayat diktat against marriage

Tight security arrangements have been made at Chitehra village in Gautam Buddha Nagar district where the “same gotra marriage” is scheduled for Saturday. Security personnel in strength have been deployed at the village to avoid any untoward incident keeping in view the panchayat’s warning to the two families if they go ahead with the marriage, police sources here said.

The panchayat members, who discussed the matter for over two days, directed that as the bride and groom belonged to the same “gotra,” the marriage should not be solemnised.

According to reports, the boy belonged to “bhati” community.  Chitehra village is  dominated by this community. “As the girl is also a ‘bhati,’  she is like one of our own family,” the panchayat members said.

But families of the groom Jaivinder and the bride Manisha are adamant and have decided to go ahead with the marriage saying that they cannot cancel it at the eleventh hour.

“Both families are ready to go ahead with the marriage. We have no problem with the gotra and there is nothing illegal about it,” said the groom’s father Nekram.

Meanwhile, the police have launched a hunt for the panchayat members who had issued the diktat against the marriage.