Interfaith Couple’s Marriage Sparks Kidnapping Allegations and Violence in Ghaziabad
A 29-year-old man, Akbar Khan, was arrested by the Ghaziabad Police following allegations of kidnapping a 25-year-old woman, Sonika Chauhan, after her father filed a complaint.
The couple, who say they are legally married under the Special Marriage Act, claim the allegations are baseless. Police also took Akbar’s two sisters into custody.
The incident has since escalated, with a group of around 60 men attacking and vandalizing Akbar’s shop on Monday. While a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed in connection with the attack, no arrests have been made so far.
Sonika and Akbar, an interfaith couple residing in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, claim they have been in a relationship for nine years.
In a video recorded on Sunday before Akbar’s arrest, Sonika said they had secretly married on August 29, 2022, at a Delhi SDM office under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. However, they did not begin living together until recently.
On May 24, Sonika reportedly left her family home to be with Akbar after her parents discovered the marriage and expressed strong disapproval.
The next day, her father, Laxman Singh Chauhan, filed a police complaint accusing Akbar of kidnapping and wrongfully confining her. He also claimed Sonika was being threatened and coerced.
Police responded by raiding Akbar’s residence in Nyay Khand, Indirapuram, and arrested his two sisters. Akbar was later arrested, and Sonika was handed back to her parents.
The FIR includes multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), such as Section 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 352 (breach of peace), 304(2) (snatching), 87 (kidnapping), and 191(2) (rioting).
In his complaint, Chauhan alleged that when he and his wife confronted Akbar at his shop, they were restrained by several women from Akbar’s family while Akbar and another man threatened them, demanding they agree to the marriage or face dire consequences.
Chauhan further claimed that Akbar abducted his daughter from the scene.
Contradicting this version, Sonika appeared in a video from a moving car stating, “Akbar is my husband. We’ve been in love for nine years and got married three years ago.
My parents beat me after learning about our marriage. I’m afraid for my safety and have chosen to live with my husband.”
She appealed to authorities not to take action against either her family or Akbar’s, emphasizing that she had left home voluntarily.
Despite this, police arrested Akbar after tracing the couple. “We acted based on the FIR filed by her father,” said ACP (Indirapuram) Abhishek Srivastava. “Sonika has been medically examined and will give her statement before a magistrate in the next few days.”
When asked about the legitimacy of the kidnapping charges given the couple’s claim of marriage, Srivastava stated, “We have not received any legal documentation to verify the marriage.”
In response to the attack on Akbar’s shop, police registered a separate FIR against 50–60 unidentified individuals under Sections 191(2) (rioting), 324(4) (mischief), and 223 (disobedience to a public servant).
A video of the incident has surfaced, but police said it is too blurry to immediately identify the culprits. “We are analyzing the footage and will take legal action against those involved,” Srivastava added.
Ghaziabad Police Commissioner J. Ravinder Goud confirmed that Sonika is currently with her family. “She is an adult. Once she records her statement before the magistrate, she will be free to decide where she wants to live,” he said.
Asked about the conflicting statements made by Sonika, Goud noted, “There appear to be contradictions. In one instance, she claims to have left home willingly, and in another, she denies it. Her official statement will be crucial in determining the course of the investigation.”
The case has raised serious concerns about interfaith relationships, freedom of choice, and due process in handling sensitive personal matters.
