Wedding for the jailed after court intervention

CHANDAULI - The bridegroom stepped out of the police van, handcuffed and under heavy security. The bride, in all splendour, waited demurely. Soon afterwards the Chandauli sub-district court premises witnessed a unique wedding.

It was after a wait of over seven years that Shoaib, an undertrial facing a murder charge, and his girlfriend Shaba finally managed to exchange wedding vows following the intervention of the Chandauli court, some 350 km from Lucknow.

Wearing a designer burqa (traditional garment of Muslim women) and with henna applied on both hands, Shaba had to wait for a while even as curious onlookers gathered at the court to witness the unique wedding Friday.

The handcuffed Shoaib arrived at the wedding venue (the sub-district court) amid heavy security. Shaba’s family members and relatives showered flower petals and blessed the couple for a happy married life, knowing fully well that the couple will not be able to live together immediately.

“The marriage was performed as per Islamic tradition and was also registered in the sub-registrar’s office. We will remain thankful to the court that allowed the couple to fulfil their dream of getting married,” Zubair Khan, Shoaib’s counsel, told reporters Saturday.

The couple’s dream came crashing in 2003, when Shoaib, a resident of Dhanpur town, was arrested on charges of murdering a lawyer. Since then he has been in jail as an undertrial.

“Shoaib was quite disappointed when people told him that he would never be able to marry Shaba. However, he kept his patience and decided to move the court, seeking its intervention,” said Khan.

“We moved the application in the court last December, seeking its permission for the couple’s marriage. The matter came up for hearing several times and at last the court fixed Jan 21 as the date of marriage,” he added.