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DEHLI - A woman living in one of India's poorest states was persuaded to marry a man who had allegedly just raped her in an arrangement brokered by the police and a local politician to spare the attacker from going to jail and to "save her from humiliation".
In an extraordinary incident that took place in the town of Narwal, Uttar Pradesh, the 19-year-old woman was married to her accused attacker in a ceremony held at the local police station and blessed by the senior officer.
The arrangement was reportedly initiated by the local member of parliament, Anil Shukla Warsi, a member of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), who stepped inafter a party worker was accused of rape last Thursday.
Last month the BSP -which represents low-caste voters - swept to an historic victory in Uttar Pradesh under its leader, Mayawati.
Mr Warsi could not be contacted yesterday but a report in the Indian Express said he became involved after the woman's father, Chandra Pal, reported the party worker to police, saying that he had raped his daughter during a wedding ceremony at a neighbour's house.
The father, identified as Chandra Pal, told the newspaper: "I went to the Narwal Police station to file a complaint against [the alleged rapist].
But we were forced to reach a compromise when Warsi called up the police station and directed the station officer to sort out the issue."
Police chief Ashutosh Sharma said he quickly apprehended the alleged attacker and spoke both to his family, and that of the woman, about a marriage.
He added: "I thought marriage was a better option. It saved the boy from jail and the girl from humiliation."
A photograph in the newspaper shows Officer Sharma blessing the couple during their wedding ceremony at the station.
The alleged attacker said he had initially not been interested in marrying the woman but had then been told he would otherwise go to jail.
"I also did her wrong," he said. "I did not want to marry her because she is an illiterate village girl."
The woman said she had no option but to marry the man and that Mr Warsi, the politician, had persuaded her reluctant family that it was the best option.
She said: "My parents would have found it tough to find a groom for me. Though he did rape me, I have no grudges since he will marry me now."
- INDEPENDENT