Bizarre drama at crematorium Assharma `marries’ dead girl friend

Out on custody parole, Sharma and his accomplice Naveen, who is also Kunzom’s brother, reached the cremation ground under heavy police escort. The two men arrived at the cremation ground in a police truck accompanied by 100-odd policemen. A police gypsy and a police truck followed their vehicle.

Kunzom’s family and friends had been waiting for the groom since 4 p.m.. Her mother who had been crying and wailing intermittently through the one-and-a-half-hour wait, immediately burst into tears. Seeking solace from some of the relatives who chose to stay by her side, she said: “I never used to leave her alone, not even for a minute. That day she left without telling me, my poor girl and they killed her.” And as the news of their arrival reached, the policemen took up their positions. Within seconds, the entire area was cordoned-off. The gates were swung shut, grieving relatives were ordered to stand on one side and curious onlookers were shooed away. And only after ensuring that things were in order, did the police allow the two men out of the police van. Then with two rows of policemen forming a human chain, they were escorted to the corner, where Kunzom was lying on a platform.

Pushing everyone but the immediate family away, the policemen then formed a two-ringed circle around the two. And as mediapersons and relatives jostled for a better view, an inconsolable Sharma clad in white kurta-pyjamas performed the wedding rites. Crying through the entire two-minute wedding ceremony he first draped her body with a red sari and then put sindoor on her forehead amdist the chanting of mantras.

And then amidst shrieks and wails, Kunzom’s body was consigned to the flames. While her brothers and parents watched, Sharma lit the funeral pyre.

Immediately Navin burst into tears and even though his mother repeatedly begged policemen, they refused to let her go close to him.

Answering queries from the mediapersons, Rani said her daughter was murdered because of the property that was given to her by Sharma. “Romesh had asked Kunzom to convert the farmhouse into an ashram or mandir. He had sent a letter through his nephew Surinder, who showed it to Dolly and Sonu before giving it to Kunzom. These two girls had even called to threaten my daughter but we did not realise the gravity of the situation,” said Rani, adding that her daughter had been engaged to Romesh and they were waiting for him to be released.

After 50 minutes of high drama, in which Sharma married and cremated his wife, he was escorted back to Tihar jail.