Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Nov 16: In a strange incident which happened here on Wednesday November 14, a man, who was opposed to the marriage of his 17-year-daughter, was reportedly kidnapped and then forced to take part in his daughter's 'Nikah' which was performed in the residence of a Moulvi in the presence of a handful of people.

The officials had received information earlier that preparations were on to hold marriage of a minor girl at a hall in Neralakatte near Mani here. The officials had visited the place on Wednesday but found that no such function was in progress there. The district Child Protection Unit had got information about the said marriage. The team had also received a copy of the invitation for the said marriage. When the officials went to the hall mentioned in the invitation card, preparation were underway there to hold another marriage. The officials did not get any clue about the alleged minor girl's marriage.

Muneer Ahmed, resident of Pandeshwar in Mangaluru, has now informed the media that he was kidnapped to facilitate the marriage of his 17-year-old daughter living at Savanur. "I was kidnapped as my presence is mandatory as per the tenets of my religion for my daughter's Nikah. The marriage was solemnised in the presence of a handful of relatives at the residence of a Moulvi near Mani on Wednesday," he explained.

Relatives of Muneer's first wife had planned to marry off his first wife's daughter to a boy from Uppinangady. But Muneer had opposed the alliance, insisting that she should first attain the marriageable age of 18. Muneer said he was abducted from near Pandeshwar on Wednesday, from where he was directly taken to the Moulvi's residence at Mani. He was forced to take part in the Nikah, he stated. He said that he expressed opposition to the marriage, but as his kidnappers threatened to thrash me, he did not succeed in stopping the marriage.

Muneer said that he tried to contact the newly-married couple but did not succeed. Therefore he complained to union minister, Maneka Gandhi. In an e-mail sent to him from the office of the minister, Muneer has been told that officials would meet him on Friday to put together more details of the episode.