On November 29, a wedding in Bodh Gaya turned chaotic after the families of the bride and groom clashed over a shortage of rasgullas. A video of the incident went viral on social media.
CCTV footage shows guests punching each other and swinging red plastic chairs. The incident happened at the hotel where the bride’s family was staying. The groom’s relatives traveled from a nearby village.
According to the police, the rituals ended when an argument started because the sweets ended up on the counter. The video shows people near food stalls before a sudden brawl breaks out. The couple was heading to the hall when the violence started that day.
The fight soon turned violent and the wedding was called off. The bride’s family then filed a suit for dowry against the groom’s side. No arrests have been reported yet.
Mahendra Prasad, father of the groom, confirmed that the fight started due to the lack of rasgullas. He also confirmed that the bride’s family had given a “fake” dowry following the chaos. According to him, his party was ready to proceed with the wedding. However, the bride’s family canceled it.
The groom’s mother, Munni Devi, claimed that in the confusion, the bride’s relatives took the jewelery she had brought as gifts. She also claimed that the groom’s family paid the hotel bills. The police confirmed that a dowry application was indeed made after the wedding was annulled.
When the groom or his relatives ask the bride’s family for money or goods as a condition of marriage, it falls under the case of dowry. This is prohibited by the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
Giving or receiving dowry can lead to imprisonment for six months to five years with a fine. The demanded dowry can bring up to two years in prison.
Reaction on social networks
Meanwhile, social media users did not miss the chance to find humor in the situation.
“A Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is considered a boring affair,” one joked.
“The people of my country never cease to amaze me on different levels. On one side there are streaks of glitter, and then there are people who fight over sweet food, who run out of supplies and treat the wedding as a trick,” chimed in another.
Another wrote: “Bihar’s rasgulla is not even worth fighting for. All I feel is that there was already high tension related to unmet demands hence the fight.”
“This wasn’t a wedding, it was an episode of Game of Thrones: Bodh Gaya Buffet Edition,” posted another.
“Wars started for less money,” came another hilarious comment.
Another post says: “People are fighting and calling off weddings because of rasgulla. And people with this level of emotional maturity can get married and vote??!? Crazy!”
