UP couple marry under police protection

The panchayat had barred Jaivinder, a resident of Chithera village, from marrying Manisha of Bisnoli village claiming their marriage will be against local societal norms.

Although the boy and the girl belong to different “gotras” or subcastes, the panchayat ruled that as residents of Chithera consider girls belonging to Bhatti gotra as their sisters, Jaivinder could not marry Manisha who belongs to Bhatti subcaste. Javinder belongs to Bainsla gotra.

The panchayat had threatened to kill them if they went ahead with the marriage.
Jaivinder’s wedding procession left Chithera under police protection for Manisha’s house where the marriage was solemnised, police sources said.

On two occasions in the recent past, the panchayat had forcibly cancelled the marriage of local boys with Bhatti girls. But Jaivinder’s family refused to follow the panchayat’s diktat.