Tripura: District Magistrate raids wedding venues, arrests several for flouting Covid norms

In a dramatic crackdown on Monday evening, Tripura West District Magistrate Dr Shailesh Kumar Yadav on Monday raided two marriage halls in Agartala for flouting Covid protocols and allowing marriage

In a dramatic crackdown on Monday evening, Tripura West District Magistrate Dr Shailesh Kumar Yadav on Monday raided two marriage halls in Agartala for flouting Covid protocols and allowing marriage functions during the night curfew hours.

The two wedding venues – Manikya Court and Gulab Bagan conducted the marriage ceremonies way beyond the time limit regulated by the government.

Yadav entered two marriage halls, Gulab Bagan and Manikya Court while he was taking a round of the city and ordered immediate wrapping up of the function. He even threatened arrest to those who tried to interfere.

While the District Magistrate was seen ordering for arrest of almost everyone at the venue, he also dragged the groom and the priest by the collar.

Meanwhile, the attendees alleged that the marriage functions were permitted by the administration.

Things turned more dramatic when one of the women present in the venue tried to show a copy the permission paper. Yadav dismissed the same saying that the permission was to hold the function only till the stipulated time.

No amount of pleading worked, as the DM was furious at the state of affairs.

Yadav also lambasted the West Tripura Police for allowing the function beyond the stipulated time. He further ordered closure of the two marriage halls up to a time period of 1 year.

The video of the incident, which has since been widely circulated in social media has evoked mixed reactions. While many are supporting the move, questions are also being raised about the handling of the entire episode by the District Magistrate

However, many including Tripura West MP Pratima Bhowmick believed that law needs to be enforced in these testing times. Speaking to Northeast Live, Bhowmick also apologized for last night’s incident but maintained that people should be more careful.

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