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It’s a yes! Tower protest wins family’s nod; online nikah follows
In a dramatic bid to marry the man she loved, a 19-year-old woman climbed a mobile tower in Chaudhary village in Motipur police station area in Bahraich and stayed there for nearly five hours before her family relented and agreed to an online nikah with her lover, who joined the ceremony via video call from Mumbai
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In a dramatic bid to marry the man she loved, a 19-year-old woman climbed a mobile tower in Chaudhary village in Motipur police station area in Bahraich and stayed there for nearly five hours before her family relented and agreed to an online nikah with her lover, who joined the ceremony via video call from Mumbai.
The incident took place in Chaudhary village, around 60 km from the district headquarters, under the Motipur police station area. Sahiba Begum, alias Mahak, a resident of Basthanwa village, climbed a mobile tower after an argument with her mother, Hasmatunnisa, over her marriage to Fakhruddin, alias Nuruddin, 21, who works in Mumbai.
According to villagers, the couple were in a relationship and wanted to marry, but their families opposed the match. Nuruddin had moved to Mumbai for work about two months ago.
On Friday morning, Mahak left home after an argument with her mother and climbed the tower on the outskirts of Chaudhary village. She threatened to jump if anyone approached and insisted on marrying Nuruddin. Villagers alerted her family and the police after failing to persuade her to climb down.
A police team, including female personnel, reached the spot and repeatedly urged Mahak to come down safely, but she remained adamant. After nearly five hours of efforts by the police and villagers, her family finally agreed to the marriage, bringing the drama to an end.
A qazi from the local mosque was called, and the couple’s consent for the marriage was obtained via video call, with the groom joining from Mumbai. Sunil Singh, a representative of the Basthanwa village head, said a written Nikah Nama (Marriage agreement) was also prepared which the qazi signed with two witnesses after Mahak agreed to climb down.
Female police personnel helped Mahak descend safely. However, her mother continued to oppose the relationship. The police took Mahak and her family to the police station for counselling before sending her home with her mother.
Motipur station house officer (SHO) Brahmanand Gaur said the woman had climbed the tower insisting on marrying her lover. She was brought down safely after the nikah, he added.
The incident reflects a recurring challenge for police and local administrations, with people climbing mobile towers to press their demands, leaving authorities to manage high-risk standoffs while diverting resources to ensure public safety.
Several similar incidents have been reported in Bahraich and neighbouring areas in recent months.
About a month ago, Chandan climbed a mobile tower after a police complaint over non-repayment of borrowed money. On August 29, Pankaj of Shastri Nagar climbed a tower demanding action over his brother’s death, while on August 6, Anil of Nanpara climbed one in Shravasti’s Malhipur area over a breakup and descended only after his girlfriend arrived.
Earlier, on May 20, a 17-year-old girl from Sahjanwa village climbed a tower insisting on marriage. In another May incident, Motu of Sheikhpur village demanded action over an alleged assault on his mother by climbing a tower. In April, a 17-year-old girl with an intellectual disability from Tamachpur village also climbed a tower.
