Beauty contest posters offer NRI groom as prize in Bathinda, 'organisers' held

Two people have been arrested in Punjab's Bathinda after posters of a beauty contest surfaced in the city promising the winner a a chance to marry a Canadian NRI groom.

The posters were found pasted on walls at several places in Bathinda earlier this week saying that a competition of "beautiful women" of "general category" will be organised at a local hotel on October 23.

The posters said the winner will be offered a chance to get married to an NRI from Canada, prompting the police to act against the organisers under relevant sections of the IPC and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.


A report by ANI identified the accused as Surinder Singh and Ram Dayal Singh, a father and son.

When the hotel owner was questioned, he said that no bookings were made for the so-called beauty contest, SSP Bathinda J.Elanchezhiyan said.

Punjab Social Security Women and Child Development minister Baljit Kaur condemned the incident. "Pasting posters to organise a beauty competition in Bathinda to choose a girl of a particular caste for marriage is highly condemnable," she said in a statement.

Kaur asked the deputy commissioner of Bathinda to take strict action under the relevant section of the Indecent Representation of Women (Management) Act, 1986.

Kaur, according to a PTI report, said the desire of Punjabis to settle abroad also leads to such incidents "There will be an awareness march in the city against the incident," she said.