Jaipur: A man in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district printed a condolence notice for his daughter, who is alive, and held a funeral feast after she married against the family’s wishes, police said on Sunday. The incident took place in Sareri village of Asind subdivision, where Bhairulal Joshi had arranged the marriage of his daughter, Pooja, with Sanjay Tiwari, a resident of the same village.
According to relatives, the wedding was solemnised in April this year, with expenses running into several lakhs of rupees. Head Constable Shravan Kumar said Joshi lodged a missing person’s report on July 30, stating that his daughter had left home on July 29 to appear for her MA examination at Manikya Lal Verma College in Bhilwara but did not return.
“We made enquiries in nearby areas and among relatives, but there was no trace. Her phone was ringing, but there was no response,” Kumar said.
Police later traced her and found that she had married Suraj Tiwari, a relative of her husband, of her own will. “We informed the family and asked them to be present when the woman would appear before the SP’s office,” the officer added.
On August 4, Pooja appeared before the SP and confirmed that she had married Suraj willingly. She also expressed fear for her safety from her family, police said.
Later, speaking to reporters, Joshi said, “When my daughter came to the police station, she gave statements against us. I was deeply hurt and decided to consider her dead for the family. I had a condolence notice printed in her name and am holding a 12-day mourning at home. A ‘mrityubhoj’ (death feast) has been scheduled for August 10.”
The printed notice mentioned her wedding date and declared that she had “passed away” for the family on July 29. Local villagers and relatives have reportedly been attending the mourning rituals.