PATNA: In Bihar, kidnapping eligible youth for marriage, locally known as 'Pakadwa Vivah', is not an unusual happening but what surprised everyone was that the incidents of such kidnappings continued being reported from across the state even during the six months of COVID-19 induced lockdown. Over a thousand of kidnapping cases were registered in different police stations in Bihar’s 38 districts between April and September 16-the last day of lockdown.
Niranjan Kumar (name changed), 20, was allegedly kidnapped in Begusarai district for marriage while Rupesh Kumar (name changed), 22, was kidnapped for marriage in Vaishali in 2020 amid the lockdown of COVID-19.
Among the long list of those kidnapped for marriages, the state police found that only seven of these cases were false.
According to data shared on Bihar police website, 2370 cases of kidnapping for marriage were registered from January to September and among them 1804 cases were registered duing the months of lockdown alone and till September, only 7 cases were declared false by police during the investigation.
As per data available, 81 cases of kidnapping for marriages were registered in April followed by 139 in May, 305 in June, 301 in July, 286 in August and 344 in September. Prior to the lockdown, from January to March, 910 cases of kidnapping for marriages were registered this year with 270 cases in January, 304 in February and 336 in March.
Pakadwa Vivah is an old social problem in Bihar due to the demand for dowry.
Girls families have been kidnapping suitable youths for forcible marriage. Families often use friends and relatives, and sometimes even hire professional criminals, to carry out abductions for marriages.
The National Crime Records Bureau Report confirms that Bihar is at the top in the country when it comes to the abduction of above 18-year-old males.
As per official data of police department, 4,498 cases of kidnapping for marriages were registered in Bihar 2019. In 2018, 4317 cases were registered for the same purpose in 2018, 3400 in 2017, 3075 in 2016, 3001 in 2015, 2533 in 2014, 2935 in 2013, 3007 in 2012, 2326 in 2011 and 1705 in 2010.