Marriage halted during day, conducted at night

Dhading, March 12

A marriage ceremony that was halted during the day time was conducted in a hush-hush manner at midnight yesterday in Dhading district.

The wedding was halted by a mothers’ group saying that the girl’s age was below 20.

Although the marriage was halted, some people along with the bridegroom had come to the bride’s home at night and taken her away.

A marriage ceremony was planned between Sapana Subedi,18, of Gajuri Rural Municipality-6 and Kabiraj Adhikari, 29, of Galchhi Rural Municipality as per the social tradition.

Local women rights activists had reported at the police office saying a girl was about to tie the knot before the age of 20. Police personnel from Gajuri Area Police Office and Baireni Police Post had stopped the attendants of the bridegroom’s procession halfway. The marriage attendants and the bridegroom were returned from midway.

ASI Janak Basnet at Gajuri Area Police office said that a police team was sent to take stock of the situation after some women reported that an underage girl was going to get married.

Attendants of the marriage procession were returned from the APF Camp of Admaghat after police consulted both families of the boy and girl and ordered them to halt the marriage.

The Mothers’ group claimed that the girl was below 20. The Subedi family, however, charged that some people in the village had tried to foil the marriage to shame the family. According to Subedi’s family, Sapana is just two months away from turning 20.