Top News

Nearly three weeks after a 29-year-old Muslim man was arrested by the police in Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram for allegedly kidnapping her and pressuring her into marrying him, Sonika Chauhan told Scroll that the accused man is her husband and did not do anything of this sort.

Their marriage, she said, was registered under the Special Marriage Act on August 29, 2022. Scroll has seen a copy of the marriage certificate and verified its authenticity by speaking to one of the witnesses listed in it.

Chauhan, 25, alleged that her family was holding her “captive” against her wishes and coercing her to divorce her husband, Akbar Khan.

“My mother took away my phone,” she said. “My family shifts me from one place to another every few days. They threatened me saying they would kill my husband’s family. They said that nobody could take me away from them and record my statement in court.”

Chauhan’s family did not respond to interview requests. However, the police dismissed her allegations.

“There is no such issue,” said Abhishek Srivastava, Indirapuram’s assistant commissioner of police. “Her statement is due to be recorded in court. We will take whatever legal steps we need to take on the basis of her statement.”

Chauhan was not satisfied with the role that the police have played...