BRIDE CALLS OFF WEDDING AFTER GROOM ARRIVES INTOXICATED; POLICE INTERVENE IN BILASPUR DISPUTE

Family standoff erupts at wedding ceremony in Chhattisgarh village

The wedding mandap stood decorated, the baraat had just arrived, and relatives were preparing for a joyful reception. Within minutes, everything unraveled.

When the groom stepped down from the wedding vehicle for the traditional door-welcome ritual on April 27, he was visibly intoxicated, stumbling as he attempted the ceremonial steps. The bride's family watched in shock. What followed was an explosive confrontation that would draw police intervention and accusations of unlawful detention.

The incident took place in Kasdul, part of Sirgitti police station area in Bilaspur district. The groom, Raju Mandale (25), works in the private sector and hails from Kormi village. His bride, Sunita (name changed), is from Kasdul. Both families had formally agreed to the marriage weeks earlier, with wedding preparations underway.

THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED

Raju's father Ramkhilavan Mandale arrived with approximately 30 wedding guests, dancing and celebrating as they approached the bride's home. Baraat members were in high spirits, dancing to DJ music outside the house. Local custom required the groom to perform a ritual greeting at the bride's door—a moment that exposed his condition.

"When he got down from the car, he was completely unsteady," according to accounts from family members present. The bride, upon learning of the groom's state before the ceremony began, made her decision clear to her father and assembled family members. She refused to proceed with the wedding.

Sunita's family immediately halted all rituals. Instead of the customary warm welcome, tension gripped the gathering. The bride's relatives expressed their disappointment openly, and within minutes, the atmosphere shifted from celebration to confrontation.

DISPUTE OVER EXPENSES ESCALATES

What followed was chaotic. Groom's relatives alleged that bride's family members detained Raju, his father, and five other wedding guests, preventing them from leaving the premises. The bride's side allegedly demanded compensation for wedding expenses and claimed damages to family honor.

According to Raju's grandfather Maniram Mandale, who later filed a police complaint, a negotiation meeting happened late that night. The bride's family initially demanded 20 lakh rupees. After discussion, the figure was reduced to 7 lakh rupees, with instructions for Raju's family to arrange the money by morning.

Maniram waited throughout the following day with other family members, but Raju and his detained relatives never returned. Growing anxious, he approached Sirgitti police station and lodged a complaint of unlawful detention against the bride's family.

POLICE CALLED IN, INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY

Sub-Inspector Kishor Kenwat at Sirgitti station received the complaint and immediately contacted the Kasdul police station, informing them that groom's relatives were allegedly being held against their will. Police rushed to the bride's residence to investigate.

Upon arrival, officers found Raju, his father, and other wedding guests inside the house, reportedly resting after having eaten. When the bride's family learned that a formal police complaint had been filed, they too approached the station with counter-complaints and demands.

Officers spent the night attempting to mediate between the two parties. The bride's family maintained their position regarding financial compensation, citing wedding expenses and social embarrassment.

POLICE ACCOUNT

Sirgitti station in-charge Kishor Kenwat clarified that the detained individuals were not held as criminal suspects. "They were not locked up. The bride's family is demanding compensation through a social resolution process for wedding arrangements and social harm caused," the officer stated. "This is a matter between the two families. Legal action will follow if necessary."

The matter technically falls under Kasdul police jurisdiction, and the investigation remains ongoing. Both families have filed separate complaints, turning what should havebeen a union into a civil dispute involving multiple allegations.

A GROWING TREND

The cancellation reflects growing awareness among younger brides in rural and semi-urban areas who are willing to publicly refuse marriages despite social pressure. Sunita's family backed her decision, suggesting a shift in family dynamics where a woman's agency in choosing her life partner is increasingly respected—even when exercised at the wedding itself.

For now, the decorated mandap remains empty, the DJ music has faded, and two families that were once connected through matrimonial agreement are now embroiled in legal proceedings and financial disputes.

Police said a final resolution would depend on both families' willingness to settle or pursue formal charges.