+ Follow
Image by ChatGPT

Forced Marriage Passed Off as Tradition

In some regions of eastern India, especially western Bihar and some areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh, courtship, consent, or family bargaining is not the outcome that brings one to marriage; instead, it comes as a result of violence. Pakadwa Vivah (alternatively Pakadua Vivah) is a form of wedding where the abducted bachelor is threatened with arms and forced into marrying.

Although commonly regarded as an offbeat rural outlier, Pakadwa Vivah, in reality, is a symptom of a structural malady: runaway dowry inflation, economic inflation, poor law enforcement, and adverse social norms. Although it is against the law, the practice has persisted for decades and resurfaced in police logs, court records, and viral videos.

What Is Pakadwa Vivah?

Pakadwa Vivah literally means “caught marriage.” Practically, it is a case when a groom is kidnapped, often to represent the family of the bride, and forced to marry by the use of physical force, threats, and even imprisonment. Most of the time, the victim is forcibly made to take part in the wedding rituals by being shot at or physically struggling at the point of resistance.

There have been videos distributed on the internet that depict grooms being held at gunpoint by men as they are forced to put on sindoor or share garlands, which clearly reflects how brutal the ceremony appears.

This practice is not new. Pakadwa Vivah traces its origins back to at least the 1970s, when it became an option due to unaffordable dowry prices. Gradually, it established itself in some districts, so far as house slang and informal contacts were formed concerning the recognition and organization of proper victims.

Economic Engine: Inflation of Dowry and Market Logic

The economics of marriage are at the centre of Pakadwa Vivah. Dowry cannot be tolerated under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, though it is still so deeply rooted in social life. In Bihar, grooms who are steadily earning, like teachers, clerks, engineers, and police force personnel, are regarded as premium assets. Such grooms may cost anywhere between 20 lakh and 1 crore, depending on rank and salary.

Kidnapping becomes a chastely logical option in families that cannot fulfil these requirements. Media inquiries have observed that contracting local gangs to kidnap a groom may incur as little as ₹2–5 lakh, which is only a fraction of dowry prices. This twisted marriage market sets coercion instead of negotiation, and violence, not as wrongdoing but as an economic solution.

How the Abduction Happens

The execution process is not usually spontaneous but computed. Acquaintances—sometimes a relative or a known friend—lure victims under the influence of a meeting place or employment opportunity. Once isolated, they are overpowered, taken to a predetermined location, and held in custody.

Breaking resistance is usually done through physical assault, sleep deprivation, and threats of false criminal cases.

The marriage ceremony itself is usually hasty and performed in a temple or a locally available marriage hall. The ritual is made to comply with armed men present throughout. In some situations, police arrive only after the ceremony is completed, making legal remedies difficult due to social pressure and contradictory accounts.

Case Study 01: Begusarai Teacher (2024)

The incident occurred in December 2024 when a 28-year-old government school teacher working in the Begusarai district was reportedly kidnapped during his commute to work and forced to marry a woman he claimed he did not know.

In his statement, he said that he was beaten, kept overnight, and taken directly to a temple where the ceremony occurred despite his obvious distress. Video records revealed him weeping during the ritual as armed family members stood watch. The bride’s family later claimed the marriage was consensual, highlighting how coercion is often repackaged as consent.

The case gained national coverage and reopened discussions on forced marriages of men in India.

Case Study 02: Army Jawan Case

In another high-profile case, a jawan of the Indian Army was forced into marriage at gunpoint. In 2023, the Patna High Court struck down the marriage, declaring that essential Hindu marriage rituals were either partially fulfilled or performed under duress, rendering the marriage null.

Although the Supreme Court later stayed parts of the judgment pending review, the case marked a major legal acknowledgment that Pakadwa Vivah violates the doctrine of free consent.

Facts and Statistics: Underreporting a Crime

Reliable data on Pakadwa Vivah is difficult to obtain due to misclassification and underreporting. However, police logs offer indicators. Based on national media reports citing Bihar Police statistics, more than 3,400 men were abducted for marriage in Bihar in 2017 alone.

Law enforcement agencies acknowledge that many cases registered as kidnappings for marriage are mislabelled as elopements or family disputes, leading to dilution of actual forced marriage cases. This ambiguity allows the practice to survive in a legal grey area where brutality is masked as tradition.

Six Reasons Why So Many Victims Remain in Forced Marriages

One of the most confusing aspects of Pakadwa Vivah is that many such marriages endure. The reasons are largely social rather than emotional. In conservative rural settings, women whose marriages are annulled or abandoned face extreme stigma and poor remarriage prospects. Community elders often pressure victims to adjust rather than disrupt a woman’s life.

Fear also restrains grooms—fear of retaliation, false dowry cases, and social ostracism. Over time, force yields to submission, and psychological adaptation mechanisms similar to Stockholm Syndrome may stabilize enforced marriages.

Judicial Development and Legal Position

Indian law unequivocally requires free consent in marriage. Consent obtained under coercion renders a marriage void or voidable under the Hindu Marriage Act and the Indian Contract Act. The right to choose a spouse is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The 2023 Patna High Court ruling clearly stated that gunpoint marriages are invalid. While legal relief exists on paper, social resistance to exiting such marriages remains overwhelming.

Beyond Law, Into Social Reform

Pakadwa Vivah is not merely a crime but a reflection of failures in social reform, economic equity, and law enforcement. While judicial recognition of forced marriages has strengthened, law alone cannot dismantle a practice rooted in dowry inflation and community complicity.

Effective change requires strict enforcement of dowry laws, economic empowerment, public awareness, and protection mechanisms for victims seeking escape. Until marriage is universally grounded in consent rather than coercion, Pakadwa Vivah will remain a dark stain on the social fabric it claims to uphold.

.    .    .

References:

Discus