Amroha: Court orders probe after wedding of farmer’s daughter halted over bribe

The wedding of a farmer’s daughter was halted in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha district on the day of the ceremony after he allegedly refused to pay a bribe of ₹50,000. The district probation officer and a team led by the official allegedly labelled the 21-year-old bride as a minor and forcibly took her away from the wedding pavilion, despite documents reportedly proving her 21 years of age. Following orders from a local court on April 9, a probe has been launched into the entire matter.

The incident took place in a village under the Hasanpur Kotwali area on March 5, 2025. According to the farmer, the wedding procession had already arrived, and rituals had begun when the district probation officer and a team comprising seven members intervened. They claimed the bride was a minor and allegedly demanded ₹50,000 to “settle” the matter.

When the farmer refused to pay the amount and presented the bride’s Aadhaar card to confirm she was 21, the officials allegedly threatened him and proceeded to take the bride away without presenting her before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), as legally mandated. Instead, the young woman was allegedly taken to a ‘One Stop Centre’.

The following day, she was presented before the CWC. Atulesh Bhardwaj, chairperson of the committee, said that after reviewing the documents submitted by her family, she was handed over to them.

On April 9, the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court took serious note of the alleged misconduct. CJM Ompal Singh ordered an investigation against the district probation officer and seven staff members allegedly involved in the case. The court entrusted the probe to the district magistrate and directed that a detailed report be submitted by May 5.

The wedding, however, could not be completed, and the groom’s family reportedly returned without the bride, Bhardwaj said.