From printing invites to kanyadaan: Shahjahanpur Police arrange wedding of woman whose father died by suicide

SHAHJAHANPUR: From getting the invitation cards printed, doing the 'kanyadaan' and arranging a feast for more than 500 guests, the Shahjahanpur district police took care of everything at the wedding of a 20-year-old woman whose father recently died by suicide.

Mahima's mother Guddi Devi would have found it difficult to hold the ceremony. She has three other daughters and a 12-year-old son. Unable to pay a bank loan, her husband Ram Asrey, 42, an auto-rickshaw driver, killed himself in April.

'Baraatis' were welcomed by police personnel, said Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashok Kumar Meena, who performed the 'kanyadaan' along with SHO Dayashankar Singh at the wedding held here on Thursday.

The expenses of Mahima's wedding was borne by the police, he told PTI on Friday and added that the 500 'baraatis' were welcomed at the marriage venue by police personnel.

The SP said after the marriage was over, gold and silver jewellery and gifts such as a mobile-phone, a washing machine and furniture were given to Mahima.

Mahima, a Dalit, tied the nuptial knot with Manoj Kumar of Etmadpur village.

Meena said Asrey, a resident of Kamal Nainpur village, hanged himself on April 16 as he was unable to pay a bank loan.

When the SHO of Kanth police station, Dayashankar Singh, went to Mahima's house, he came to know about the incident, the SP said.

Meena said after Singh told him about the family and its financial condition, "we decided arranged everything for her marriage".

Police printed the wedding invitation cards and invited relatives of the bride, the SP said and added that on June 12, policemen reached the village of the groom to apply 'tilak'.

Devi said after the death of her husband, everyone was worried about Mahima's marriage. "In such a situation, police came forward and helped us," she said.