Marriage rituals stopped near Dhanbad jail over lack of nod

Dhanbad: A wedding ceremony at a place of worship near the Dhanbad divisional jail drew attention on Friday after jail authorities halted the rituals midway, citing violation of administrative rules.

Officials said the couple had already completed a court marriage and arrived with family members to perform remaining rituals at the temple. The programme was stopped because no prior permission was taken to organise any ceremony in or around the sensitive area.

The groom, Dilip Yadav, 40, from Ara in Bihar, and bride, Kanchan, 36, from Pathardih in Dhanbad, reportedly solemnised their marriage earlier through court procedures. On Friday, both families gathered at the place of worship with relatives and a priest to conduct Vedic rituals.

Sources said the ceremony was underway when jail personnel received reached the spot and stopped the event. Jail authorities maintained that holding any public function, including marriage ceremonies, on or near the jail premises without approval is against established rules.

Following the incident, jailer Dinesh Prasad Verma ordered an inquiry. After confirming the event was arranged without permission, the programme was discontinued. Authorities issued instructions to the priest and advised the families to follow proper procedures in future.

The bride and groom said they had come “on the advice of their lawyer” to complete rituals after their court marriage, but said no formal permission was obtained. As the rituals could not continue, the couple and relatives left. Family members Dwarka Yadav and Arvind Kumar Yadav said the remaining rituals would be held at another temple.

Additional collector Vinod Kumar, also holding jail-related charge, clarified the temple lies in a court-linked area where relatives often visit inmates. He said police initially allowed entry assuming they were visiting prisoners, but intervened once the marriage rituals began.