After holding an inquiry into the alleged forcible marriage of a married woman, Kanchan Mishra, with one Sultan Mian, the National Commission for Women (NCW) today warned top Bihar police officials with severe action if they fail to produce the woman within 10 days. A four-member team, headed by NCW Chairperson Poornima Advani, was recently in Bihar to investigate the disappearance of Kanchan, a beautician from Patna. It is suspected she was kidnapped and forced into marriage by Sultan Mian, a local gangster. According to police, Kanchan, a divorcee, was staying with Pappu Pandey in Patna. She married Munna Mian at a mosque on November 6 and then informed her mother about the wedding. Advani said the NCW team visited Bihar after Kanchan’s mother Sachita Devi complained that her daughter, who has a 10-month-old son, was abducted by Sultan Mian in the first week of November and later forced into marriage. ‘‘I held talks with the Bihar DGP R.R. Prasad, ADGP, Patna Zone, Ashish Ranjan Sinha, SSP Sunil Kumar and other police officials and asked them to recover Kanchan within 10 days,’’ Advani said. She said that it is unfortunate that the police have not lodged a complaint on the alleged forcible marriage event after a month. ‘‘We are living in fear and don’t know what has happened to my daughter,’’ said Kanchan’s mother. She said the family has fled the village out of fear. ‘‘My sister was receiving threat calls before she was kidnapped,’’ said Kanchan’s 12-year-old brother Chottu, who used to stay with her in the beauty parlour where she worked. The man Kanchan was ‘‘living’’ with refused to comment on her disappearance. ‘‘I am married and you’re trying to tarnish the image of my family,’’ he said. The NCW team interviewed Kanchan’s family and others on Monday.
