Pulwama, Sept 19: A day that was meant to be filled with joy and celebration took a distressing turn for Dar family of Kandizaal village in Awantipora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district as the bridegroom failed to show up at their residence on the scheduled wedding day of their daughter.
Mohammad Ramzan Dar’s daughter had been anticipating the day she would move to her in-laws’ house, a date set in stone a month ago and witnessed by four individuals.
Father of the bride told Rising Kashmir that the bridegroom and the bride had entered into a marriage contract four years ago.
Now, the bride had to move with her groom, a boy from the same village only a few walks from their house, on wedding day as a traditional rite.
He said that the wedding was fixed on 16 September after mutual consent.
Everything appeared to be proceeding smoothly until an unexpected twist on the day of the ceremony.
To the Dar family’s bewilderment, the bridegroom failed to make an appearance.
“We were not told anything by the groom’s family until late evening,” the distraught father said.
The traumatic experience has taken a severe toll on the bride and her family members.
“Since that fateful day, our daughter has not consumed a single morsel of food, and she has withdrawn from interacting with other family members,” lamented the distraught Dar, who is the father of seven daughters, with four still unmarried.
In their quest for justice, the victimized family has called upon the authorities to investigate this matter thoroughly.
“We want the bridegroom to be punished for breaking our trust and causing humiliation to us,” Dar demanded.
The police have responded by registering a case under sections 420 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code at the Awantipora Police Station.
In a reassuring development, two individuals have been arrested in connection with this case, while further investigations are currently underway, according to local police officials.
This distasteful event has attracted a lot of condemnation from various quarters of society as such events were rarely witnessed in this area of Southern Kashmir.
