Groom, his father thrashed for offering Rs 5,000 in ‘joota churai’ ritual in Uttar Pradesh | Meerut News

BIJNOR: The “joota churai” (shoe-stealing) tradition at a wedding in Garhmalpur village, Bijnor, turned violent when the bride’s sisters demanded Rs 50,000 from the groom’s family to return his shoes.
In weddings, it is customary for the bride’s sisters to steal the groom’s shoes during a religious ceremony, with the expectation of a payment in return.
The groom’s family, from Chakrauta in Dehradun, initially agreed to pay Rs 5,000 as a token of goodwill.
However, tensions flared when the groom rebuked the bride’s sister, which led to the bride’s family calling him a “beggar.”
The situation quickly escalated, and members of the bride’s family allegedly locked the groom, Mohammad Sabir, and his father, Nisar Ahmed, in a room, beating them with sticks.
The wedding rituals were halted, and the dispute was reported to the police.
Both sides accused each other of abuse and assault. The bride’s family also claimed the groom’s side was pressuring them for dowry and wrote a cheque for Rs 2 lakh.
Najibabad station house officer, Jai Bhagwan, said that both sides filed complaints against each other. The groom alleged that he was thrashed by the bride’s family. On the other hand, the bride’s father alleged that the groom demanded dowry. The investigation is ongoing.
The groom, Sabir, runs a salon in Dehradun. He told the police that discord escalated following the joota chori rituals. He returned to his native place without taking the bride. Efforts were ongoing by both sides to put an end to the discord.