BERHAMPUR: Kodala sub-jail in Ganjam district turned into a marriage venue after a 26-year-old inmate accused of rape tied the knot with the complainant on the prison premises on Sunday.
Jailor of Kodala sub-jail Taranisen Dehury said the under-trial prisoner (UTP), Suryakant Behera of Gochhabadi within Polasara police limits, married the complainant in presence of their family members at the Hanuman temple on the jail premises. The wedding ceremony was held as per traditional vedic rituals and Hindu tradition after necessary permission from the court and prison authorities.
Behera has been lodged in Kodala sub-jail since November 2024 on the charge of raping his 22-year-old girlfriend. Before his arrest, he was working in Surat, Gujarat.
The UTP’s family claimed he was accused of raping his girlfriend on the promise of marriage. Due to misunderstanding, the girl’s family reported the matter to Polasara police following which a case was registered against Suryakant and he was subsequently arrested.
After Behera’s arrest, several rounds of discussion were held between families of both the accused and the complainant. Months later, they reached an agreement and filed a petition in the court for their marriage.
“After both the families’ consent, the bride and groom willingly agreed to marry and cited in the affidavit in the court that they have decided to go ahead with the wedding without any sort of pressure. Following approval of the additional district judge and Prisons DG, we coordinated the marriage according to Hindu traditions and customs,” said Dehury.
The groom arrived at the marriage venue in a decorated electric vehicle arranged by the sub-jail. All the expenditure for the marriage was borne by the two families.
After the marriage, the bride went to her in-laws’ house while the groom returned to his prison cell as trial in the case is pending, the jailor added.