Father chains, locks up son for marrying against his wishes

A father chained and locked up his 19-year-old son for three weeks after he chose to marry against the family's wishes in eastern India, a police officer said Friday.

Photo: Father chains, locks up son for marrying against his wishes

Police rescued Raghu Amin Mollah from his father's house Thursday on the outskirts of Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal state, said Joy Biswas, a police officer who took part in the operation.

"Yes, he was kept in a room locked and chained," the police officer told The Associated Press.

The father, Abed Ali Mollah, has been arrested and charged with illegally detaining and torturing his son for 21 days, he said.

Biswas said Abed Ali Mollah opposed his son's marriage to Shahnaz Khatun, 18, because of a lingering enmity between the two families.

Police acted after Khatun filed a complaint against her father-in-law, Biswas said.

The Hindustan Times said the two youngsters had grown up in the same neighborhood and fallen in love. They eloped and wed in a mosque on the outskirts of Calcutta, Biswas said.

In rural India, most marriages are arranged by the parents, and it is unusual for youngsters to choose their own partners.