A wedding in UP's Khatauli turned chaotic when two grooms arrived with separate wedding processions for same bride. One groom was from Shamli and the other from Meerut. The ceremony was stopped after a villager alerted Child Helpline about a possible child marriage. Officials could not verify the bride’s age, so she was taken to a One-Stop Centre.
A wedding in the Khatauli area of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh turned into chaos after two different grooms arrived for the same bride. What was meant to be a joyful ceremony quickly turned into confusion and arguments, forcing authorities to step in. The wedding was eventually called off after a heated dispute broke out between the two families. The situation became more serious when officials received information that the bride might be a minor.
Two wedding processions reach the village
According to the police, as published by the Times of India two grooms arrived in the village with separate wedding processions. One groom came from Shamli district, while the other arrived from Meerut district. Both sides claimed that the bride had been promised to them for marriage.
The sudden arrival of two wedding parties led to a major argument between the families and created panic among villagers who had gathered for the ceremony.
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Tip-off about possible child marriage
While the argument was going on, a villager informed the Child Helpline that the bride might be underage. Soon after receiving the alert, officials from Childline and the police rushed to the village to stop the ceremony and investigate the matter.
Authorities asked the bride’s family to show documents proving her age. However, the family could not provide any papers to confirm that the girl was legally old enough to marry.
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Bride taken to One-Stop Centre
After the officials intervened, the wedding was immediately stopped. Childline officials then took the girl to a One-Stop Centre, where she will receive support and counselling. Officials said the girl will be presented before the Child Welfare Committee, which will decide the next steps. A medical examination will also be conducted to determine her exact age.
Father explains how confusion happened
During questioning, the bride’s father told police that the marriage had originally been fixed six months ago with a 20-year-old man named Pradeep Kumar. Kumar is a resident of Babri village in Shamli district. The wedding ceremony was planned to take place this week.
However, just one day before the wedding, Kumar’s brother passed away. Because of the death in the family, the groom’s side became uncertain about whether the wedding would go ahead.
The father said they did not receive a clear confirmation from Kumar’s family about the ceremony.
Another groom arranged at the last minute
Due to the uncertainty, the bride’s family quickly arranged another marriage for their daughter. On Monday evening, they fixed the wedding with another man named Akash from Diggi village in Meerut district.
But on the wedding day, both grooms arrived with their wedding parties, each believing that the bride would marry them. This unexpected situation led to a major dispute between the two sides and caused chaos in the village.
Police and child protection officials are now investigating the matter. Officials said the most important step is to determine the girl’s age. If she is found to be a minor, legal action could be taken under child marriage laws.
