ITAHARI, July 15: A Bajgain couple had been living in a rented flat in Bargachhi of Itahari since the last few months. Apparently, the family had a normal life. Three days ago, the wife, aged 27, left for market and never returned.

After a frantic search, the husband came to know that she had chosen to live with another man. The couple has a son.

Rajkumar Chaudhari of the same area experienced similar situation. A migrant worker, he used to send all the money he earned in Saudi Arabia to his wife back home. They had been planning to start a business after he returned for good in a couple of years. However, when he got back home recently, worst news awaited him.

His wife, who had already married another man, ran off with all the money, leaving the couple's children under nobody's care.

Santosh Chaudhari also suffered a similar fate.

His 24-year-old wife eloped with someone else. The couple has a 4-year-old son.

Recently, a man from Itahari filed a case with the police while he was still in a Gulf country seeking help with getting Rs 1.1 million returned from his wife, who had disappeared. The couple has three children.  

In the last one year, 91 married women from Itahari were found to have quit their marriage without informing their husbands of their decision.

This Wednesday alone five such cases were registered at the District Police Office, Sunsari.

While such incidents are certainly shocking for men, they are no less troubling for the children.

"This is a very disturbing trend. Barring a few, in most cases the victims tend to be migrant workers," said DSP OM Adhikari.

Adhikari attributed the rise in such incidents to the growing use of internet, which brings people closer through video and audio chats.

It provides a safe way for men and women whose spouses are away to form new relationships.

"Barring a few exceptions, married women tend to remarry men who are already married," said Adhikari.

Surprisingly, even the country's marriage law seems to favor women, enabling them to call off their marriage anytime they want without having to worry about any serious legal repercussions.

In contrast, men have no easy way out of their marriage, which requires full consent of their wives.

If he marries another woman without his wife's consent, she can take him to court with serious ramifications.
     

 
• married
 
• women
 
• itahari
 
• eloped