Eloped couple in Ghaziabad feigns attack to fool families

The police, on the basis of the pictures and electronic surveillance, traced the couple staying together at a rented house in Muzaffarnagar. The man had gone missing from his house at Kanchan Park locality in Loni on July 25.

A young couple, who fled homes in Loni over two weeks ago to stay together, was found in Muzaffarnagar by the police on Saturday. The incident had sent the police into a tizzy after some pictures of the 20-year-old man with his mouth and hands tied up had gone viral on social media platforms.

The incident had sent the police into a tizzy after some pictures of the 20-year-old man with his mouth and hands tied up had gone viral on social media platforms. (HT photo (Representative image))

The police had taken a suo motu cognisance in the case after they came to know that the person who sent the photos to the man’s family threatened that he would be killed, police officials said.

The police, on the basis of the pictures and electronic surveillance, traced the couple staying together at a rented house in Muzaffarnagar. The man had gone missing from his house at Kanchan Park locality in Loni on July 25. During investigation, the police came to know that a neighbourhood woman aged 19 had also gone missing on the same day.

“From locals we came to know that they were in an affair and wanted to get married. They had fled together in January as well, but their families brought them back. Both families were opposed to their marriage. On July 25, both went missing. However, the next day man’s family received some pictures in which he was shown with his hands and mouth tied up and the sender stated that he will be murdered,” said Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, superintendent of police (rural).

After the pictures surfaced, the police formed a team and started the probe.

“We were somehow convinced that the two had fled together, but the receipt of pictures made us act fast. During the electronic surveillance, a relative of the man in Delhi gave a call to his family that both were safe. We then got convinced that sending of pictures was a ploy. The couple was traced to Muzaffarnagar. The man had roped in one of his friends who sent fake pictures to his family,” Jadaun said.

After the recovery of the couple, the police are now contemplating legal action against them for giving false information and sending fake pictures.

“The man told us that he was worried that woman’s family will lodge a police complaint against his family. So, in order to divert their attention, he planned to send fake pictures. And this worked. Woman’s family members were also shocked to hear about his possible murder. So, they did not approach police,” the SP (rural) said.