J&K man arrested from Palghar for eloping with minor girl

Zulfikar Mohammed Sadique Khatana (22) had eloped with the 16-year-old girl on 5 March and arrived in Jogeshwari, where they stayed briefly.

Palghar: A resident of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been arrested by the J&K Police for eloping with a minor girl from Rajouri after her mother filed a kidnapping complaint against him. The man’s mobile phone location was traced in Palghar, following which the J&K Police arrived in the city and arrested him.

Assuming he was out of the woods with the police, Zulfikar switched on his mobile and the police traced his location to Palghar. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Zulfikar Mohammed Sadique Khatana (22) had eloped with the 16-year-old girl on 5 March and arrived in Jogeshwari, where they stayed briefly.

The police called Zulfikar and told him to stay put but fearing arrest, he switched off his mobile and fled to Palghar, where he rented a flat in Vishnu Nagar along with the minor, said Police Naik Ramesh Palve of Palghar police.

Assuming he was out of the woods with the police, Zulfikar switched on his mobile and the police traced his location to Palghar.

Subsequently, the J&K Police arrived in Palghar and they contacted us, said Palwe.

“We took the police to the location and Zulfikar was arrested for kidnapping and violations of the POCSO Act 2012. Both the girl and the accused were taken to Rajouri,” Palwe said, adding that the parents of the girl were opposing the alliance with Zulfikar after which they eloped.