A wedding ritual in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly took an ugly turn after the groom showed up drunk and garlanded the bride’s best friend. This prompted Radha Devi, a 21-year-old bride, to slap the groom, call off the wedding and leave. The incident took place on Saturday.

It all started when the groom, Ravindra Kumar, 26, and his wedding procession arrived late at the venue. According to the FIR, the groom’s side asked for an additional dowry. The bride’s father claims to have given Rs 2.5 lakh during the pre-wedding ceremony and another Rs 2 lakh on Saturday, but this didn’t seem enough.

The groom allegedly desired to marry a girl of her choice. He was reportedly drunk and misbehaved with the family members.

The groom got drunk with his friends before the garland exchange ceremony, one of the ceremonies before the wedding rituals.

Intoxicated, the groom accidentally garlanded the bride’s best friend, standing by her side. Angered by this, Ms Devi slapped the groom and walked away, refusing to marry Mr Kumar. This opened a can of worms.

A dispute erupted between the two families with both throwing chairs at each other, prompting police to intervene and take charge of the situation. The wedding procession had to be sent back.

Reportedly, the groom’s friends purchased illicit liquor and gave it to Mr Kumar. The police have arrested one person in the case.

The police detained the groom and friends and registered a case for intentionally insulting the bride’s family and disturbing the peace.

A case has also been registered against the groom for demanding dowry.