Bihar-style 'shotgun marriage': Kidnapped teacher forced to marry at gunpoint

Patna: It seems the appetite for grooms with stable government jobs among parents with girls to marry in Bihar has reached a fever pitch in 2024. Avnish Kumar, who had recently secure a teacher's job, was kidnapped on his way to work and forced to marry a woman that he allegedly had a long-term romantic relationship with.

On Friday, Kumar was travelling in an e-rickshaw when it was intercepted by two Scorpio cars out of which a group of armed men emerged. He was subsequently threatened, beaten and kidnapped. Within hours, he was forced to wed a woman he claims was his stalker and not his lover.

The incident is apparently a classic example of a practice known as 'Pakadwa Vivah' in Bihar. The state has seen the highest number of such forced marriages in the last 30 years in 2024, as per police data.

Who is Avnish Kumar, the 'reluctant' groom?

Avnish Kumar is the son of Sudhakar Rai and a resident of Rajaura in Bihar's Begursarai district. He was recently appointed as a government school teacher after clearing the Bihar Public Service Commission exam. He was posted at a middle school in Katihar district.

Who is the 'jilted' bride?

The bride is called Gunjan, a woman from Lakhisarai district. Gunjan's relatives were the ones who kidnapped Avnish Kumar for the 'shotgun marriage'.

Video of wedding goes viral

A viral video shows Kumar being held by several men while Gunjan, dressed in a wedding saree with sindoor staining her head, stands nearby. Kumar looks visibly distressed in the video as he is coerced into completing the traditional marriage vows and rituals.

Conflicting accounts from groom and bride

As per Gunjan, she and Kumar are a couple who have been together for four years. However, Kumar had been refusing to formalise the relationship into marriage, which is why her relatives had to take the 'extreme' step.

Gunjan has alleged that their relationship was serious, involving frequent visits to hotels and shared stays at Kumar's residence in Katihar.

"He had promised to marry me and start a family," Gunjan alleged. "He had also taken me to his school. We were in love for four years. But when I informed my family about it, and we approached him for marriage, he refused. This was unacceptable," NDTV quoted her as saying.

Three days prior to the incident, Gunjan's family claim to have discovered the couple together in Katihar. However, Kumar has claimed that he was not in a relationship with the woman. "I had no love for that girl," Kumar has stated, as per one report. "She harassed me by repeatedly calling and stalking me."

"On the day of the incident, some men kidnapped me in a Scorpio vehicle while I was on my way to school. They beat me, forcibly applied vermilion, and tried to perform rituals. I protested throughout," he added.

Kumar has since lodged a complaint alleging kidnapping and physical assault.

Gunjan has also filed a complaint with the police seeking justice for what she claims was an 'unfulfilled promise of marriage' after Kumar's family refused to accept her into the household when the couple, accompanied by the Gunjan's relatives, reached Kumar's home in Rajaura.

The local police is currently probing the case.