Patna: A family in Jamui district allegedly performed the symbolic last rites of their adult daughter after she married a man of her choice, declaring her “socially dead”. The family reportedly took out a symbolic funeral procession in the village on Tuesday, a day after the couple married at the district registrar’s office. The incident came to light after a video of the rituals surfaced on social media on Wednesday.According to police, the woman, a resident of Khaira area, had left home a few days earlier with a man from her locality. Her family lodged a missing-person complaint at Khaira police station on July 27 and began searching for her.On Aug 2, the woman appeared at the police station on her own. Police completed the required formalities, conducted a medical examination and recorded her statement.“The woman was found to be an adult. She told us in the presence of police that she had gone with the man willingly and wanted to stay with him,” said Khaira SHO Sanjay Kumar Singh.After completing the legal formalities, police allowed her to leave according to her wishes. The following day, on Aug 3, she and her partner married at the district registrar’s office.After learning about the marriage, her family expressed strong displeasure on Aug 4. Family members prepared a symbolic bier in the village and performed rituals associated with last rites. Male members of the family also got their heads tonsured.Local residents said the man belonged to the same gotia, or clan, as the woman, and that this was the reason for the family’s opposition to the marriage. The family has reportedly severed ties with her and is planning to perform ‘shraddha’ rituals.The viral video shows villagers carrying the symbolic bier and performing the rituals.The SHO said all legal procedures had been followed after the woman appeared at the police station. “We recorded her statement and since she was a major and said she wanted to go with the man, we allowed her to leave as per the law,” he said.He added that no written complaint had so far been received at the police station regarding the symbolic funeral.
