Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
What began as a love story between a 22-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl at Waluj ended in tragedy when the young man was arrested after a year and a half of living together. The two had eloped after falling in love while working together, and a case of kidnapping was filed against the man. Later, they built a life together, even welcoming a baby girl. The couple had been working on a farm in Dharashiv, but police eventually traced them and arrested the husband bringing their brief happiness to a painful end.
In 2024, Ankush (24) was employed in the Waluj Industrial Area, where he became acquainted with a coworker’s daughter. Their friendship gradually turned into love. The couple eloped and got married, vowing to stay together. However, the girl’s family filed a kidnapping case against Ankush in Nashik district. Police searched for him across several areas, but since he had changed his phone number and cut contact with his family, locating him proved difficult.
The girl’s parents, anxious and heartbroken, had no idea where their daughter was or how she was living. Considering the case’s seriousness, Police commissioner Pravin Pawar transferred the investigation to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit.
Tracked down through technical investigation
The search team assistant inspector Jayashree Kulkarni, officers Vithal Mankape, Hira Chincholkar, and Poonam Pardeshi began tracing the couple. Through technical analysis of the contact numbers of three relatives, they discovered that Ankush was living in Dharashiv district.
Living on a farm with a five-month-old baby
Unaware that a case was still pending against him, Ankush had been living quietly with his wife, hiding out of fear of family backlash. The couple worked as caretakers on a farmer’s land, where they lived happily in a small house built on the farm. His wife had recently turned 18 years old, and the couple had a five-month-old daughter.
However, when the police reached the farm after tracing their location, the couple was shocked. Since Ankush had eloped and married the girl while she was still a minor, he was arrested. The court has remanded him to police custody for two days. Despite the ordeal, the young woman reportedly told police and the court that she would fight for his bail and continue their life together, reaffirming her commitment to her husband.