India: UP girl refuses to marry as groom chewed betel nut

Ballia: After a bride in Pratapgarh district turned away the groom because he came drunk, another bride in Ballia district refused to marry the groom because he chewed 'gutkha' (betel nut).

Maniyar police station official, Shailendra Singh, said that the bride, hailing from Mishrauli village, was to get married to the man from Khejuri village on June 5.

However, when the groom arrived with the marriage procession, the bride saw that he was chewing 'gutkha'.

She then refused to get married and the wedding was called off.

After hours of persuasion, when the bride refused to relent, the wedding was called off and the families decided to return the gifts they had earlier received from each other.

This is the second such incident within one week in Uttar Pradesh.

Last week, a bride in Pratapgarh district had refused to get married after the groom arrived drunk and started forcing her to dance with him.

As the situation took an ugly turn, the police was called in and it was on their intervention that the groom's family agreed to return the dowry gifts.