Bihar teacher kidnapped, forced to marry at gunpoint in shocking 'Pakadwa Vivah' case

In a troubling case of ‘Pakadwa Vivah’ (forced marriage), Avnish Kumar, a newly appointed teacher from Begusarai district, Bihar, was abducted on Friday while traveling to his school in Katihar. Two Scorpios intercepted his e-rickshaw, and a group of armed men emerged from the vehicles. Avnish was forcibly taken, beaten, and driven to a temple in a neighboring district, where he was coerced into marrying Gunjan, a woman from Lakhisarai district. This abduction and forced marriage took place under duress, and a video of the ceremony, which later went viral, shows Avnish visibly distressed while performing marriage rituals.

Gunjan, who claims to have been in a relationship with Avnish for four years, alleges that they had frequently met at hotels and stayed at his residence in Katihar. She asserts that Avnish had promised to marry her and start a family but later refused when her family sought formal marriage proposals. Gunjan’s family discovered the couple together in Katihar three days before the forced marriage. According to Gunjan, this led her relatives to abduct Avnish and arrange a wedding ceremony at a temple in a bid to force him into marriage.

Avnish, however, denies the allegations and states that he was never romantically involved with Gunjan. He claims that she had been stalking him and repeatedly contacting him, which made him uncomfortable. He further asserts that on the day of the incident, he was kidnapped by men traveling in Scorpios, beaten, and forced to marry Gunjan while being held at gunpoint. He has also filed a police complaint, accusing Gunjan’s family of kidnapping, physical assault, and coercion.

Following the forced marriage, Gunjan accompanied her family to Avnish’s home in Rajaura, but when they arrived, Avnish managed to escape. His family refused to accept Gunjan into their household, and she subsequently filed a police complaint against him, alleging that he had breached a promise of marriage. The case is under investigation by local authorities.

This incident has raised concerns about the increasing number of forced marriages in Bihar, a practice that has been on the rise in recent years. 2024 has witnessed a significant surge in reported cases of ‘Pakadwa Vivah,’ marking the highest number in the last three decades. The phenomenon, in which unmarried men are abducted and forced into marriage under threat of violence, has become a growing issue for law enforcement and authorities in the state.