Bhadrak (Orissa): It was a wedding with a difference – Kanhu Charan Panda obtained special leave from local jail where he is being held to marry the girl he had allegedly raped over a year ago.
People turned up in large numbers to witness the recent wedding of Panda and Kuni Behera at a temple in Bhadrak. The marriage was solemnised in the presence of lawyers representing both parties.
Panda, a resident of Harisinghpur village in Bhadrak, had allegedly raped Behera in March 2005, his lawyer Nirakar Jena said.
Subsequently, Panda was remanded to custody after his bail petition was rejected. Panda's efforts to get bail were rejected on more than one occasion and he was held in jail as his trial proceeded.
Lawyers of both parties then reached a compromise formula and decided to arrange a marriage between the accused and his victim.
The two sides appealed to the chief judicial magistrate to grant Panda bail for the wedding. The judge heard the appeal and granted bail on the condition that the accused must marry the woman.
Since the jail authorities did not permit Panda to marry inside the jail premises, he chose a temple as the venue.
While Panda's parents, who were against the marriage, did not attend the ceremony, Behara's family was there to bless the couple.
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