29-year-old held in Ghaziabad for ‘kidnapping’ woman; she says they married three years ago

After the wedding, the couple didn’t live together. On May 24, however, Sonika’s family found out she had married a man from another community and disapproved of it. She then left the house to stay with her husband.

A day later, Sonika’s father, Laxman Singh Chauhan, went to the Indirapuram police station, accusing Akbar of kidnapping his daughter and wrongfully confining her. The Ghazibad Police then raided Akbar’s home in the Nyay Khand area of Indirapuram and arrested two sisters. They later arrested Akbar and “handed over” Sonika to her parents.

Police registered an FIR under sections 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 352 (breach of peace), 304(2)(snatching), 87 (kidnapping) and 191(2)(rioting) of the BNS.

Akbar’s family could not be contacted.

In his complaint, Chauhan claimed, “On Saturday (May 24), at 6 pm, my daughter, who works at a salon, was kidnapped by Akbar and another man [who] confined her inside their shop next door.”

In his complaint, Chauhan alleged that when he and his wife reached Akbar’s shop, “four to five women of his family caught hold of us while Akbar and [the other man] told us to get our daughter married to him [Akbar] or [they] would kill us.”

Chauhan, in the complaint, further claimed Akbar ran away with his daughter from the shop. “My daughter is scared of Akbar’s threats and is under his pressure,” he told the police.

When police raided Akbar’s house, they didn’t find the couple there; they arrested two of Akbar’s sisters.

Around this time on Sunday, a purported video of the couple shot inside a moving car surfaced. Sonika said in the video, “… He is my husband, Akbar… For the last nine years, we’ve been together. Three years ago, we got married under the Special Marriage Act. Though my parents had an inkling about it, today…, they thrashed me. I am scared, this is why I am leaving to live with my husband.”

“No action should be taken against my husband’s family,” she said. “I don’t want any action against my family either. I am going with my husband of my own accord.”

Following this, police traced the couple and arrested Akbar.

When contacted, ACP (Indirapuram) Abhishek Srivastava said they acted promptly once the FIR was lodged. “We recovered Sonika from Ghaziabad and handed her over to her parents after due process. We also arrested Akbar and his two sisters based on the complaint from Sonika’s father… the woman had been sent for medical examination. She will record her statement before the magistrate in the next 2-3 days.”

Asked how police arrested Akbar for kidnapping when he is married to Sonika, Srivastava said, “We’ve not received any legal documents supporting the claim.”

In connection with the vandalism of Akbar’s shop, a video of which has surfaced, police registered an FIR against 50-60 unidentified men on Tuesday. “We registered the FIR suo motu under sections 191(2) (rioting), 324 (4)mischief, 223 (disobeying public servant orders),” ACP Srivastava said.

This FIR also stated that the 50-60 men are connected to the case in which Akbar has been arrested. “The video is blurry. We are trying to identify those involved… legal action will be taken,” the ACP said.

Ghaziabad Police Commissioner J Ravinder Goud said the woman is with her family. “She is a major, and the statement she records in front of the magistrate will be final. Then she can stay wherever she wants to,” he said.

Asked about Sonika’s video, Goud said there are contradictory statements. “At one place, the woman says she left home of her own free will, while in the next statement, she has denied it.”

When The Indian Express reached Sonika’s house on Tuesday, her father said they “don’t want to talk… police are doing what needs to be done”.

A kilometre away, Akbar’s home was locked.