Rourkela: As the fiasco of his drunken brawl with in-laws had just subsided and he got married to the same girl, the groom Sankar Panda found himself embroiled in yet another eddy of trouble. He was arrested by Tangarapalli police for allegedly marrying a second time without divorcing his first wife.
Panda was booked after a complaint was filed by a woman at Tangarapalli police station in Rourkela who alleged that Panda had married her a few months ago.
The woman, a resident of Sector-7 in Rourkela, claimed that she was his legally married first wife and they got married in a court last November. However, soon after their marriage, Panda left her in her father's place citing reasons related to his job, the woman alleged.
“We got married on November 17 in a court and later in public on November 27. On December 4, he said he has to go outside for job. I am pregnant now. What else can I ask for?” alleged Panda’s first wife.
Meanwhile, shaken by the wrongdoing of her husband, the newly-wed bride said, “After such ugly things happened yesterday on our marriage day, we patched up and today morning my brother called me up to say that this man is already married and has a wife. I was shocked to hear this.”
“When I asked him whether he is already married, Panda said he doesn’t care even if she dies,” the newly-wed further alleged.
After preliminary investigation, police found veracity in the allegations levelled by Panda’s first wife and arrested him. The newly-wed bride was also taken back from Champaguda village later.
Tangarapalli IIC Manoranjan Pradhan said,” Early morning today, a woman came with all proofs and documents and lodged a complaint at the police station. Action will be taken against all those persons who hid the matter of his first marriage.”
“Panda has been arrested along with his two brothers and family members. He will be court forwarded,” added Pradhan.
Meanwhile, palpable tension prevailed outside the police station after irate locals demanded to hand over Panda to them.
Reportedly, the accused, a native of Champaguda village under Bandhamunda police limits, turned up along with ‘baratis’ drunk and allegedly misbehaved and thrashed the girl’s family members on wedding day yesterday. The bride refused to marry him and lodged a police complaint later.
However, after mutual negotiation at the police station, the bride and the groom exchanged garlands at the Tangarapalli police station following intervention from some social activists and families of both the sides.
However, a remorseless Panda said, “My first wife is one and half-months pregnant. I don’t have relation with any other girl except these two. I will marry my first wife.”