The Gonda Police at Uday Kumari's wedding. (image-X/gondapolice)

Gonda, Uttar Pradesh: Uday Kumari’s wedding was originally scheduled for May, but plans came to a halt when her brother, the family’s sole breadwinner, was killed in a dacoity in April. The loss plunged the family into mourning and hardship, leaving them with little hope of seeing their daughter married.

However, what began as a criminal investigation into the violent crime that shattered Kumari’s family turned into something far more human.

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Led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Vineet Jaiswal and supported by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), police officers tracked down the culprits responsible for the dacoity. They were identified as members of the notorious Pasi gang.

They didn’t stop there. In a rare display of compassion, the Gonda police also decided to help the grieving family in a more personal way.

Uday Kumari’s wedding was held on Thursday night in a grand, traditional ceremony in the village of Umri Begumganj. It was an emotional culmination of days of planning and effort by the local police, STF personnel, and their families.

From arranging decorations, food, music, and traditional rituals, the police officers took care of everything.

The SP and his wife, Dr Tanvi Jaiswal, who is also the chairperson of the police family welfare organisation ‘VAMA Sarathi’, attended the event and gifted Rs 1.51 lakh in cash, along with jewellery and essential household items, to the newlyweds.

Ritu Shahi, a member of the State Women’s Commission and wife of STF Circle Officer DK Shahi, was also among those who visited the family prior to the event to offer support and assure them that the police would bear the full cost of the ceremony.

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Meanwhile, the investigation into Kumari’s brother’s death also bore fruit. Six suspects from the Pasi gang were identified. Four were arrested during police encounters in which three suffered bullet injuries. The gang’s kingpin, Gyan Chand Pasi, and another key accused, Sonu Pasi, were killed in separate encounters on May 20 and May 22, respectively.

“The police didn’t feel like officers on duty; they were like our own family,” Kumari’s father said, admitting that he had lost all hope of seeing his daughter get married until the officers came to help.