KENDRAPARA: More than a real-life run of chivalric romanticism as seen in Bollywood grossers like “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” or “Woh Saat Din”, decriminalisation of adultery by the Supreme Court has forced a man in Kendrapara district to marry off his wife to her paramour.
Bikash Sahoo (32) of Koilipur village under Rajkanika police station had married Sagarika Mohanty of the nearby Jayanagar village in 2014. The couple has a three-year-old daughter.
Bikash works as a plumber in Kolkata and comes home only for a few days in a year. During his long absence, his wife allegedly developed relationship with a 28-year-old youth, Suresh Lenka, from the same village. Around two weeks back, Bikash’s parents spotted both of them in the house and informed their son about the extra-marital affair.
Bikash rushed to the village from Kolkata and confronted his wife and her lover. He was flabbergasted when his wife bluntly told him that she wanted to marry Suresh and also cited that the Supreme Court had ruled that adultery is no longer a crime.
“I divorced my wife through an affidavit before the notary public at Aul on November 1. I called Sagarika’s parents and asked them to arrange her marriage with Suresh. I returned a two-wheeler and other materials which her parents had gifted me at the time of marriage. My wife took our daughter”, said Bikash.
He also apprised the village committee members about the decision, who gave their stamp of approval. “We discussed with the parents of both Bikash and Sagarika and told them to arrange the marriage. It was solemnised in the village temple on Monday”, said Mahendra Sahoo, president of the village committee.
Suresh, the lover of Sagarika, could not believe his ears when he received the marriage proposal from Bikash. Both he and Sagarika touched the feet of Bikash at the altar of marriage. To avoid any legal problem in future, both also swore in affidavit before the notary public at Aul with Bikash as a witness to the marriage.