A newly married bride in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district was kidnapped by her family members, who threw chilli powder at the groom and his relatives. The incident, which took place in Kadiam village near Rajahmundry on Sunday, April 21, was caught on camera, with the video subsequently surfacing online.

In the video, family members were seen dragging the bride while the groom clung tightly to her. Guests at the wedding were seen being sprinkled with chilli powder. The bride's screams were audible as her family members persisted in dragging her away from the wedding venue. Both men and women could be seen in the video attempting to pull the bride. While a man tried to drag the bride from one side, a woman and another man were seen removing the groom from the opposite direction as he adamantly refused to let the bride's family take her away.
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What happened?
The woman, Gangavaram Sneha, hailing from Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, was in love with Battina Venkatanandu while studying in Narasaraopet, located in the Palnadu district.
{{/usCountry}}The woman, Gangavaram Sneha, hailing from Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, was in love with Battina Venkatanandu while studying in Narasaraopet, located in the Palnadu district.
{{/usCountry}}Subsequently, the couple tied the knot on April 13 at a temple. On April 21, the groom's parents consented to their love marriage. A formal ceremony was held at a function hall in Kadiam village near Rajahmundry in the East Godavari district.
During the ceremony, the bride's family members entered the ceremony venue intending to take the bride away. They resorted to using chilli powder, throwing it at the groom's eyes and his relatives in an attempt to seize the bride.
Those involved in the kidnapping incident included the bride's mother, brother, and cousins.
Bride's family faces criminal charges
The bride's family members reportedly failed in their attempt to take her away and were thwarted by the groom's relatives. One of the groom's friends sustained severe injuries during the commotion.
Sneha's family now faces a multitude of criminal charges, including assault, attempted kidnapping, and theft of gold. The motive behind their opposition to the wedding remains unclear.
Addressing the incident, the Kadiam Circle Inspector revealed that the groom's family has filed criminal charges against Sneha's family.
Further investigation is underway.
(With inputs from the reporter)