When tradition becomes torture: Inside Bihar’s pakadua vivah cases

In Bihar, the line between celebration and horror is blurring. Across districts like Samastipur, Begusarai, and Patna, young men — students, teachers, and even teenagers — are being abducted, drugged, and forced into marriage against their will. These incidents, locally known as ‘pakadua vivah’, are leaving victims traumatised and families frantic.

Viral videos circulating on social media show stunned victims performing wedding rituals, struggling to lift garlands, and even pleading for help while held captive. Some are locked in rooms for days, others abducted at gunpoint. The rise of these forced marriages is exposing the dark underbelly of tradition, with communities divided and police scrambling to keep up. For many victims, what should have been a joyous occasion turns into a nightmare they cannot forget.

Samastipur: Student abducted and forced to marry

In the latest case in Samastipur district, Nitish Kumar, a 22-year-old student, alleged that he was kidnapped and forced into marriage. Police said that while returning from a library on February 7, Nitish’s friends offered him a cold drink laced with sedatives.




“I was rendered unconscious, abducted, and later forced to marry a girl in a nearby village,” Nitish told police. He further alleged that he was held captive for two days and given sedatives to keep him subdued. During captivity, he managed to record a video statement that later went viral on social media.

Nitish, a resident of Chakraj Ali village under Patori police station, accused Kundan Rajvanshi and Rahul of abducting him. According to his complaint, they mixed sedatives in his drink and he was forced to marry Lakshmi Kumari, daughter of Shankar Rai.

A video of the wedding ceremony circulating online shows Nitish appearing disoriented and struggling to lift his hands during the garland exchange ritual. Another video purportedly shows him locked inside a room, pleading for help after being held captive for over 24 hours.

“Nitish’s family members were searching for him. After seeing the video, they informed the police and lodged a kidnapping complaint at Patori police station,” said DSP (Patori) B K Medhavi. Police rescued him after conducting a raid in Chakraj Ali village.

“No arrests have been made so far as the victim’s statement is yet to be recorded. The bride’s family has claimed it was an arranged marriage. Villagers had earlier attempted to mediate between the two families. Further action will be taken after recording the victim’s statement,” said Anil Kumar, SHO of Shahpur Patori police station.



Begusarai: Teacher claims abduction, bride tells different story

In July 2024, Avnish Kumar, a 28-year-old government school teacher in Katihar, alleged that he was abducted and forcibly married in a temple.

“I am posted as a Plus Two teacher in a govt school in Lakshmipur village under Barari block in Katihar district. On Friday morning, while travelling to school in an e-rickshaw, two SUVs intercepted me. The kin of the girl abducted me, took me to a temple and forced me to marry her.,” he told reporters.

A video of the alleged marriage went viral, showing Avnish crying and performing rituals under duress.

However, the bride, Gunjan, 25, offered a contrasting narrative. She said, “I first met Avnish in Rajaura village while living with my sister to pursue a nursing course. We frequently met and grew close. About 10 days ago, he took me to Katihar. My family found out and arranged for our marriage at a temple.”

This case highlights the complexity in determining consent in forced marriage cases, especially when prior romantic relationships exist.

Patna 2019: Senior official abducted and married at gunpoint

Vinod Kumar, 31, a senior official of Bokaro Steel Plant, endured a traumatic forced marriage at Gopikita village under Pandarak police station in Patna district on December 3, 2017.

He recalls, Not only were the police reluctant to take my complaint, I even had to spend a night at the police station at the insistence of the bride’s brother and other relatives.

Vinod filed a criminal case in the Barh sub-divisional court after local police allegedly refused to lodge an FIR. He was rescued by his family after a video of him performing wedding rituals at gunpoint went viral.

“Though the Pandarak police later lodged a complaint on the statement of the chowkidar of the village, no action was taken. The offenders continue to move freely and are even threatening me and my family, ” Vinod said.

After enduring over a year of legal proceedings, the Patna family court, under principal judge Krishna Bihari Pandey, nullified the marriage under section 12 (1) (C) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

“I had been shuttling between Bokaro and Patna for the past one-and-half-years. At times I had to appear in person. Finally the verdict came in my favour. But what about the action against offenders who are hell-bent on ruining my career and issuing threats to my family?” Vinod asked.

Patna 2024: Minor abducted, forced to marry

In July 2024, a 17-year-old who had just started college after passing Class XII was abducted near his home in Patna’s Barh and married a minor girl at gunpoint late on a Wednesday.

“Eyewitnesses informed the family members. Instead of alerting the police immediately, his family started searches on their own. When they failed to trace him, they informed the police around 10pm. The teen was rescued by us within hours. He told us that he was taken away by unknown people and driven to a house where he was wedded by force,” said Barh SHO Manish Kumar.

All accused involved in the unlawful marriage are absconding, including Arun Yadav, who had previously been convicted in murder cases. Preliminary investigations indicate that the girl’s guardians arranged the marriage to rid themselves of responsibility, as her parents had passed away.

Samastipur 2022: Young man abducted while visiting relatives

In another case in 2022, Vinod Kumar, a 22-year-old man from Satha village in Dalsinghsarai, was abducted and forced to marry while visiting his sister’s in-laws under Morwa block in Samastipur district.

The video of the incident went viral, showing him pleading with villagers and relatives during the ceremony. Vinod said, he came to Morwa to drop his sister to her in-laws’ house, but his brother-in-law Amarjeet Nath and some other villagers abducted and took him to Khudneshwar Asthan temple under Tajpur police station area, where hw was forced to marry a girl belonging to Vidyapati Nagar.

Social Media: Videos as lifeline and evidence

Across multiple incidents, social media videos have played a pivotal role in both locating victims and exposing the coercion involved. From Nitish Kumar pleading for help, to Vinod Kumar performing rituals at gunpoint, viral footage has forced authorities to take notice and catalyze rescue operations.

Legal remedies, while available, often take months or years, leaving victims to cope with psychological trauma and social stigma. The videos of these forced marriages circulate widely on social media, causing immense embarrassment and distress to the victims. The law must be stringent, and police must act promptly, said a legal expert familiar with the matter.

As Bihar grapples with this ongoing social menace, victims’ voices like those of Nitish, Avnish, Vinod, and the teenage boy highlight the urgent need for awareness, preventive measures, and stricter enforcement against perpetrators of pakadua vivah.