An unusual situation arose in the city of Bagpat (UP) during the implementation of the state government's mass marriage program. A woman, arriving with a child and her current husband, made an extremely strange demand: she wished to perform the seven-step ritual not with her husband, but with her younger brother, meaning a relative.
Initially, officials treated the situation as ordinary, but after checking the documents, it turned out that the woman was already married and had a child. Despite this, she insisted on holding the ceremony under the mass marriage program with her brother.
When officials asked the woman how she could enter into a second marriage while already married, she openly stated that she did not love her husband and preferred to marry her relative. She also claimed that a Panchayat (council of elders) meeting had taken place in the village, and they had formalized the divorce. To confirm this, she presented the authorities with a handwritten document allegedly representing the decision of the Panchayat.
The most curious turn occurred when her husband supported her statement before the officials. He confirmed that she was telling the truth and stated that he preferred her younger brother over himself. The husband and wife cited the Panchayat's decision as the basis for the divorce. However, this argument held no legal validity under state regulations.
The authorities clearly explained to the woman that the decision made by the Panchayat, or the handwritten document, could not replace a legal divorce. A preliminary procedure of officially terminating the first marriage is required to enter into a second marriage. Since the woman could not provide documents proving a legal divorce, her application was rejected.
A total of 220 online applications were received under the mass marriage program. During the verification process, 149 couples were deemed suitable, and their weddings were conducted on October 25th. Some applications were canceled due to deficiencies in documentation and compliance criteria. This unique case involving the husband, wife, and relative surfaced during the review of these withdrawn applications.
In a phone conversation with the correspondent of 'Aaj Tak', Nilam Chauhan, Deputy Director of Social Welfare, reported that an application had been received from a woman wishing to marry her relative. During the verification, it was found that the woman did not have a legal divorce from her current husband, so her application was canceled according to established rules.