13-year-old girl runs away to Gujarat over social media romance

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

A 13-year-old girl fell in love with a boy from Gujarat after connecting with him on Instagram. One day, she ran away from home and reached Gujarat to be with him. In reality, the boy’s household was living in extreme poverty, but the girl decided to stay with him despite the circumstances.

The police had been searching for her for over a year and a half. Finally, when they received information that the girl might come to the city to meet her relatives on Bhaubeej, authorities detained both of them, arrested the boyfriend, Akash, and handed the girl over to her family.

The girl, Samiksha (name changed), lived in the Mukundwadi area and was studying in school. Her parents run private businesses to support the family. She met Akash while using Instagram on her mother’s mobile phone. Akash frequently posted impressive photos that attracted her attention, and gradually she fell in love with him.

Their online interactions intensified, and on January 6, 2024, Samiksha suddenly went missing. That night, she travelled to Surat by bus and started living with Akash in a local chawl.

Boyfriend’s reality shatters girl’s illusions; Akash works as office boy

Akash, who had attracted Samiksha with his impressive Instagram photos, actually lived in a chawl. His parents had passed away, and he worked as an office boy in a company. Samiksha soon realised the harsh reality, but having run away from home, she chose to stay with him, unsure how else she could return home.

Meanwhile, a kidnapping case had been registered at the Mukundwadi police station. When the girl could not be traced for three months, the case was transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. Assistant police inspector Jayshree Kulkarni and her team Vithal Mankape, Hira Chincholekar, Poonam Pardeshi, and Ramdas Gavhane actively continued the search for Samiksha.

To maintain contact with her brother, Samiksha created an Instagram account under a fake name of a girl. She frequently communicated with her brother through this account, asking about their parents. Her inquiries raised suspicion, and when the police learnt about it, they investigated and technical surveillance confirmed that the account belonged to Samiksha.

On October 23, the police received information that Samiksha and Akash were coming to the city to meet her brother. The team intercepted and took them into custody. Since a kidnapping case was already registered, Akash was arrested, and Samiksha was handed over to her family.