Bride slapped in viral video over refusal to stay with her husband

Kanpur: A video from Hamirpur went viral showing a veiled bride being slapped by another veiled woman during a panchayat meeting after the bride allegedly refused to live with her husband just hours after the wedding and insisted on staying with her lover.The bride arrived at her in-laws' house for the first time on February 21 after the wedding. However, she refused to even touch her husband and told family members that she would live only with a man she loved. Following her refusal, a panchayat was convened where elders and relatives tried to counsel her. During the meeting, the bride's mother-in-law allegedly lost her temper and slapped her in front of those present. A 72-second video of the incident surfaced on social media, showing the bride sitting among other women while one of them slapped her twice as others tried to intervene and stop the altercation.
In the video, the bride can be heard saying that the marriage was conducted forcibly when some women questioned why she agreed to the marriage. When the matter could not be resolved in the panchayat, both families approached the police station on February 23. After discussions, the bride and groom mutually agreed to live separately and complete legal formalities later. tnn