A wedding in Muzaffarnagar’s Khatauli area was halted on Tuesday after two grooms arrived with separate baraats at the bride’s house, each claiming he was supposed to marry her. (Image Credit: TOI)

AGRA: A wedding in Muzaffarnagar’s Khatauli area was halted on Tuesday after two grooms arrived with separate baraats at the bride’s house, each claiming he was supposed to marry her. The situation escalated after a villager alerted Child Helpline alleging that the girl was a minor, prompting officials and police to intervene.Police said the dispute began when both grooms — who had travelled from Shamli and Meerut — reached the village with their wedding processions and claimed the marriage had been fixed with them. Arguments broke out between the families and villagers as each side insisted the ceremony was meant for them. “Both sides were claiming that the wedding had been finalised with them and the situation became tense,” a police officer present at the spot said.District Child Helpline coordinator Sachin Kumar said his team reached the village along with supervisor Bhubaneswar after receiving the alert about a possible child marriage. “The family members could not produce any document verifying the girl’s age,” Kumar said. “We took the girl to the one-stop centre and she will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee for further assistance.” Officials added that her age would be determined through a medical examination.The bride’s father told police that his daughter’s marriage had originally been fixed six months ago with Pradeep Kumar, 20, a resident of Babri village in Shamli district. However, Kumar’s brother died on Monday, a day before the scheduled ceremony, and the groom’s family said they would inform the bride’s side whether the wedding would go ahead. “They told us they would confirm whether the ceremony would take place, but we did not receive any final message,” the father said.

Image Credit: TOI

With preparations already under way, the family fixed another match on Monday evening with Akash, a resident of Diggi village under Medical police station limits in Meerut. On Tuesday, both men arrived with their baraats, leading to arguments between the families and confusion in the village.SHO Dinesh Chand of Khatauli police station said police reached the spot after receiving information about the commotion. “Our team assisted the Child Helpline officials and the girl was sent to the one-stop centre,” he said, adding that further action would follow as per legal procedures.