‘Greedy’ grooms pay panchayat Rs5 lakh

MUZZAFARNAGAR: A panchayat in Muzaffarnagar held two grooms, both brothers, and their family members captive for several hours for demanding dowry and the panchayat penalised them Rs5 lakh.

The panchayat also annulled the two marriages after the family of the brides, also sisters, refused to send their daughters with the grooms.

Nuruddin, a resident of Kulheri, had fixed the marriage of his daughters with Inam-ul Haq and Zia-ul Haq of Chatela. While the marriage was being solemnised on Wednesday, the groom’s father allegedly demanded Rs 5lakh in dowry.

But angry villagers held Inam and Zia captive and refused to release them until the issue was settled by the community panchayat.

The panchayat, which met on Thursday, directed the grooms’ family to pay a penalty of Rs5 lakh to the brides’ family, a decision to which both the parties agreed to.