Bride's Father Dies of Heart Attack After Dowry Dispute in Uttarakhand

A wedding ceremony in the Islamnagar area of Khatima town here turned into a tragedy when a dispute over dowry and the 'mehr' amount led to the death of the bride's father due to a heart attack.

Following the incident on Sunday, angry relatives of the bride and locals held the groom and several wedding guests hostage and assaulted them, prompting authorities to deploy a heavy police force to prevent further unrest.

According to the police, the wedding procession for the daughter of Sadiq, a local contractor residing in Islamnagar, had reached the Khushboo Marriage Hall from Bara Faridpur in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly.

While the initial reception proceeded smoothly, a sharp disagreement arose between both sides during the solemnisation of the nikah regarding the mehr amount and alleged dowry demands.

The bride's family alleged that the groom's side had been making demands for additional dowry since the marriage was finalised. They claimed the demands escalated from a scooter to a motorcycle, and finally to Rs 1 lakh cash.

During the ceremony, a dispute erupted over the mehr amount. The bride's family insisted on fixing the sum at Rs 5 lakh, whereas the groom's side refused to go beyond Rs 21,000.

Witnesses told the police that despite discussions and attempts at mediation, the impasse could not be resolved. Amid the rising tensions, Sadiq's health deteriorated suddenly.

His family rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the police said. Relatives claimed that the severe mental stress caused by the altercation triggered the fatal cardiac arrest.

As news of the death reached the venue, anger erupted among the bride's family and locals. The agitated crowd detained the groom, Mohammad Arif, his brother Mohammad Khalid, his brother-in-law Ata Hussain, and several other guests inside the marriage hall. Some members of the wedding party were also allegedly assaulted.

In a bid to escape the violence, many of the wedding guests tried to flee across the roof of an adjacent house. During the scramble, a portion of the roof collapsed, resulting in injuries to a few people.

Upon receiving information about the clash, the Khatima Kotwali police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Security has been tightened in the area with the deployment of additional force to maintain law and order.

Police said that an investigation into the incident is underway.

Statements from both sides are being recorded and further action will be taken based on the available facts, they added.