Bihar: Teachers on their way to school were abducted, beaten, and forced to marry at gunpoint

Avnish Kumar, who had just cleared the Bihar Public Service Commission exam to become a teacher, was on his way to work on Friday when two Scorpios grabbed him. A dozen unidentified gunmen got out of the cars, and opened fire on him. Within hours, Avnish was kidnapped, beaten, and forced to marry the woman he accused of having an affair with for four years.

The incident adds to the spate of ‘Pakadwa Vivah’ cases in Bihar, where unmarried men are forced into marriage at gunpoint. According to police reports, 2024 has seen the highest number of forced marriages in the last three decades.

Avnish Kumar, son of Sudhakar Rai and a resident of Rajaura in Begusarai district, was abducted by the relatives of Gunjan, a woman from Lakhisarai district. Avnish and Gunjan are said to have been in a relationship for four years. However, despite this, Avnish, who had just got a job as a government teacher and was posted to a primary school in Katihar, allegedly refused to marry her.

Gunjan said that their relationship was strained, they spent most of their time at the hotel and the time they spent together at Avnish’s house in Katihar.

“He promised to marry me and start a family,” said Gunjan. “He took me back to his school. We were in love for four years. But when I informed my family about this, and we went to him to get married, he refused. This was unacceptable.”

Three days before this, it is said that Gunjan’s family found the two together in Katihar. He then allegedly kidnapped Avnish and forced him to marry Gunjan in a temple. The viral video shows the situation, where Avnish is being held by several men while Gunjan, wearing a wedding saree and vermilion on her forehead, is standing. Avnish looks very upset as he is forced to perform the wedding rituals under duress.

After the forced ceremony, Gunjan accompanied her family back to Avnish’s house in Rajaura, but an argument ensued. Avnish runs away, and when Gunjan arrives at her home, her family refuses to accept her as part of their family.

Mr. Gunjan filed a complaint with the police, seeking justice in this matter.

Avnish, however, denied the dating rumors with Gunjan. “I didn’t like that girl,” he said. “They harassed me by repeatedly calling me and stalking me. On the day of the incident, some men stole me in a Scorpio car and went to school. They beat me, applied vermilion forcefully and tried to perform rituals. They protested all the time.”

Avnish has also filed a complaint, alleging that he was abducted and assaulted.