Jailed for helping minor escape marriage to 34-year-old, Gujarat man gets bail

The Gujarat High Court granted bail to a 21-year-old man who worked at a local diamond polishing unit after he spent six months in jail for ‘abducting’ his Instagram acquaintance.

3 min readVadodaraUpdated: Sep 26, 2026 03:08 PM IST

Justice Hasmukh D Suthar of the Gujarat High Court noted that the minor’s statement indicated that her parents wanted to forcefully marry her off. (File Photo)

A 16-year-old girl worried that her family would marry her to a man more than twice her age turned to a 21-year-old acquaintance she had known online for nearly two years and asked him to take her away. His decision to do so led to a criminal case and a prolonged spell in custody, which ended this week when the Gujarat High Court granted him bail.

The young man from a village in Bhavnagar district, who worked at a local diamond polishing unit, had been in custody since March 9 in a case registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for abducting or enticing away the minor from her parents, threats and coercion, and sexual assault, among others.

Justice Hasmukh D Suthar of the Gujarat High Court noted on September 22 that the minor’s statement indicated that her parents wanted to forcefully marry her off. While deciding the plea, the high court considered the girl’s statement given before the magistrate and observed: “Perusing the statement of victim recorded under Section 183 of the BNSS, it appears that the parents of the victim want to marry the victim girl with a person aged 34 years and due to this reason, the victim eloped with the applicant, who is aged 21 years and stayed at different places with the applicant and even otherwise, now the investigation is over and charge-sheet is filed.”

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On the night of January 5-6, the girl, then around 16 years and 10 months old, left her home. Her father lodged a police complaint on January 16, alleging that his daughter had gone missing along with the applicant.

According to the applicant””s bail petition filed through advocate Bhavin Thakar, the two had been in contact through Instagram for close to two years before the girl left home. The petition states that on the night of January 5, the girl herself messaged the applicant, telling him that her father intended to solemnise her marriage on March 8 to a 34-year-old man, and asked him to take her away before that date. She is stated to have left home carrying her clothes and Rs 10,000 in cash.

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Six months in jail

The man was arrested on March 9 and lodged in Bhavnagar district jail. The investigating agency filed the chargesheet on April 8. His bail plea was subsequently rejected by the Bhavnagar sessions court on June 19, with the court citing the seriousness of the allegations and the possibility of the accused exerting pressure on the complainant or witnesses if released.

The man then approached the high court. The court allowed his bail plea and directed that he be released on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with one surety of the same amount and subject to conditions.

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The man has been asked to refrain from contacting the complainant or any prosecution witness until the trial concludes. Among other bail conditions, he has been directed to surrender his passport within a week, not leave Gujarat without the trial court’s permission, and mark his presence at the local police station once a month for six months.

Aditi Raja

Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More

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