Pakistan-returned Geeta meets suitors

Bhopal: “Swayamvar” of Geeta, the deaf and mute girl who strayed into Pakistan 15 years ago after being separated from her parents in India and later brought back to reunite her with family, began in Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.

Twenty five-year-old Geeta, who gave her consent to marry with the condition that her groom should take oath at the marriage altar to help her find her parents, met four suitors who have responded to a matrimonial ad posted in Facebook by sign language expert of Madhya Pradesh Gyanendra Purohit a couple of months ago.

Over 100 youth across the country have responded to the campaign in the social media network site to find life partner for her.

Of the 100 respondents, 26 were screened by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) who is looking after Geeta’s wellbeing, and referred to Indore district collector to arrange their meeting with the girl to choose her groom from among them.

Geeta had later shortlisted 15 candidates to meet them, individually. “She was to meet six prospective grooms on Thursday. However, two suitors did not turn up. She met four candidates on Thursday. She was scheduled to interact with eight other prospective grooms on Friday”, Mr Purohit, who has received the nod from the MEA to arrange a suitable candidate for Geeta to marry her, told this newspaper.

“If Geeta finalises her groom in her two-day ‘Swayamvar’, then arrangements would be made to solemnise her marriage with him.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj whose efforts had led Geeta to return to India in 2015 is most likely to host her marriage”, Mr Purohit said. MEA has reportedly taken decision to ensure she began her marital life following delay in finding her parents.

Over one dozen couples from different parts of the country have so far claimed that she was their daughter.

But, claim of none of them has so far proved authentic. Geeta had strayed across the border aboard Samjhauta Express and landed in Lahore railway station.in Pakistan in 2003.

She was spotted by Pakistan rangers who handed her over to the local social activist Bilquis Edhi for her rehabilitation. Later, she was brought to India.