Lalbabu Prasad, 16, was abducted at gunpoint in May '09 and was forced to marry 13-year-old Babita.
His friend, Praveen, tried to come to his rescue, but died when kidnappers fired guns to scare him away.
Hours later, when police rescued L Prasad, he was already married.
The family of 13-year-old Rajesh Rai of Patna has now agreed to accept the bride Vinita with whom he was forced in a gunpoint marriage.
He was kidnapped when he went out to sell milk.
Rahul,18, was kidnapped & forced to marry Banti,16, in Rampur village where he had gone due to a relative's death.
Both Banti's and Rahul's elder brothers have been married the same way.
A good number of boys are kidnapped and married off during matriculation exam when they come to a town exam centre from villages nearby.
Almost 90% marriages in villages have been solemnized by kidnapping bridegrooms; because it is easier & cheaper than paying the standard dowry.
In almost all such cases, the entire village extends full support to the girl's family.
The ceremony is videotaped as evidence.
Priests of village temples issue a certificate of marriage.
Most of these marriages survive.
Though forced marriages have traditionally been prevalent among the so-called upper castes in Bihar, the practice is picking up even among the middle castes where the demand for dowry has skyrocketed over the years.
... India Today, April 5, '10
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