Patna. The Supreme Court has put a stay on the order of the Patna High Court canceling the arranged marriage in Bihar. Patna High Court had declared the marriage legally invalid on the grounds that seven rounds were not completed before Agni. While hearing the bride’s appeal, the bench of Supreme Court comprising Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah stayed the High Court’s decision and asked to issue a notice on it.
Notice issued to concerned parties
There has been a tradition of Pakdaua marriage or Pakdaua marriage in Bihar. In the 70s and 80s, such forced marriages involving kidnapping of boys were rampant, which reduced with time, but such cases are still coming to light at some places. Recently, while hearing a similar case, Patna High Court had declared the arranged marriage invalid. After the decision of the High Court, the bride had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, on which the Supreme Court bench has issued a notice to the parties concerned in the case and sought their response.
The arranged marriage took place on June 30, 2013.
According to the information, Ravikant, son of Chandramouleshwar Singh, resident of Revra village of Nawada and Vandana Kumari, daughter of Bipin Singh of Chowki village of Lakhisarai, were married ten years ago on June 30, 2013. She was kidnapped from the temple and got married which is not acceptable even to her family. The young man had demanded to cancel the marriage on the grounds of forced marriage and not completing all the marriage rituals.
High Court had given decision in favor of the young man
The High Court had canceled the marriage, giving a decision in favor of the young man. After this, challenging the decision of the High Court, the girl has approached the Supreme Court. Hearing the appeal of the bride, the Supreme Court has stayed the decision of the Patna High Court till further orders. After this step of the Supreme Court, the debate on this type of marriage can start once again.
Girl’s side telling love marriage
According to the information, there was a forced marriage between Lakhisarai girl Vandana and Nawada district boy Ravikant. After the defeat in this case from Patna High Court, Vandana Kumari, daughter of Vipin Singh, resident of Rajuna Chowki, Lakhisarai, has now approached the Supreme Court.
Vandana has been fighting in the court for 10 years
She is considering her forced marriage with Army jawan Ravikant, son of Chandramouleshwar Singh, resident of Rewara, Nawada, as valid. Vandana has been fighting the court battle for 10 years. Vandana is elder than her two brothers. The marriage of inter pass Vandana and army jawan Ravikant took place on June 30, 2013 at Ashokdham temple.
Ravikant is the brother-in-law of Vandana’s cousin sister.
Ravikant is the brother-in-law of Vandana’s maternal sister. Regarding marriage, Vandana claims that before marriage in 2013, Ravikant and Vandana fell in love. Meanwhile, Ravikant got a job in the army. After this, Ravikant’s family did not give consent for the marriage.
Ravikant’s family members did not agree
It is said that Vandana got married with the tacit consent of Ravikant. However, only after marriage, Ravikant’s family started opposing this relationship. The boy’s family refused to accept the relationship, calling it a forced marriage, since the marriage ceremony was conducted after kidnapping. The girl’s side is calling it a love marriage.
Ravikant knocked in Nawada and Vandana in Lakhisarai Family Court
After marriage, Ravikant filed a case in Nawada Family Court refusing to accept the marriage. Here, Vandana also filed a dowry harassment case against her in-laws in Lakhisarai Family Court. Nawada Family Court rejected Ravikant’s petition. After this Ravikant approached the Patna High Court. Giving relief to Ravikant, the court has given its decision to cancel his forced marriage. On the other hand, Lakhisarai Family Court had given its verdict in favor of Vandana in 2020.
Ravikant got married for the second time in 2017
Ravikant got married for the second time in 2017 in Makanpur of Bhagalpur district. As soon as Vandana got information about this, she again filed a case against her in-laws in Lakhisarai court in 2017. After this, the relationship between Vandana and Ravikant’s family started deteriorating further.
Ravikant and Vandana started visiting their parents’ and in-laws’ houses.
2020 After the decision of the Family Court, Lakhisarai, Ravikant and Vandana started visiting their parents’ and in-laws’ houses. According to Vandana, Ravikant had also come to her brother Brajesh’s wedding on April 26, 21 and as her husband, he performed all the rituals at the wedding with Vandana. In May 21, Ravikant had taken Vandana to his village Revara during his vacation.