Marriage soleminsed at Orissa police station

Orissa policemen play cupid
Subhashish Mohanty
Monday, December 15, 2008 01:22 IST


BHUBANESWAR: Marriages are made in heaven. But this one in Orissa was solemnised at a police station.
Sabir Ahmed, 25, an Indian Air Force man, on Friday married girlfriend Reshmi Roshan Nigar, 22, at Kendrapara police station, about 100 km from here, under the watchful eyes of superintendent of police Diptesh Patnaik.

Sources said Ahmed, who is now posted in Chandigarh, met Nigar in Bhadrak in 2005. They stayed in touch over the phone and soon fell in love. Nigar’s parents told Ahmed’s family about the relationship. But Ahmed’s parents did not approve of the relationship.

Ahmed snapped all ties with Nigar. Shattered, the Nigars sought the help of Ashiyana, a Bhadrak-based NGO working for the welfare of minority communities.

Ashiyana secretary Sophia Seikh stepped in to settle the discord. She first went to Chandigarh to settle the issue amicably. “As we did not get any help from the Air Force, we came back and lodged a police complaint,” she said.

When Sabir came to his hometown, Kendrapara, for Bakri-Eid last week, cops took him to the police station. The girl’s family members were summoned to the police station. Ahmed then agreed to marry Nigar. The marriage was soleminsed at the police station. Before the nikaah, a pre-nuptial agreement was signed between the two families. “The agreement states that if Nigar dies under unnatural circumstances, Ahmed’s family will be held responsible. Ahmed cannot divorce his wife,” Sophia said, adding that her NGO has settled about 18 such disputes. But for the first time, a marriage had been solemnised at a police station, she added.