Lucknow man marries sisters

A young delivery boy has married two sisters, one of them handicapped, in Lucknow with the blessings of his parents and those of the girls'.

Amar Verma married Priti (21) and Ragini (18), daughters of a retired teacher, in a simple ceremony Tuesday night.

Amar had proposed to Ragini, but her father, Sohan Lal Verma, put a rather strange condition -- he would have to marry Priti too.

"We were shocked initially...but then realised the humanitarian aspect of the condition," Amar's sister, Aruna Devi, told PTI.

Priti lost her legs at a young age to polio. She depends, for most of her needs, on her father and sister Ragini. The sisters are also very close.

"I was concerned about Priti's future. Who would take care of her after my death," Verma said.

Ram Swarup, Amar's father, accepted the proposal and asked him to marry the sisters simultaneously.

Questions were raised about the legality of the marriage as polygamy is not allowed under the Hindu Marriage Act.

A lawyer said though prima facie the marriage is illegal, there should be no problem because nobody has raised any objection. "Also, as both the sisters were married simultaneously to Amar, there seems to be no second wife," he said.