A couple who married under the Special Marriage Act in 2022 is at the center of a legal and communal storm after the woman’s family discovered the marriage last week, leading to accusations of kidnapping, wrongful confinement, and mob violence.
Sonika Chauhan and Akbar Khan, who were in a relationship for nine years, tied the knot in 2022 under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. Despite the legal sanction of their union, the couple had been living separately, fearing backlash from their families and community. Tensions erupted on May 24 when Sonika’s family learned about the marriage and allegedly pressured her to seek a divorce.
The next day, Sonika’s father, Laxman Chauhan, filed a complaint with Indirapuram Police, accusing Khan of kidnapping his daughter and unlawfully confining her. Acting on the complaint, Ghaziabad Police raided Khan’s residence in Nyay Khand, arresting two of his sisters. Police later located the couple, handed Sonika over to her family, and arrested Khan under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of kidnapping (Section 87), wrongful confinement (Section 127(2)), breach of peace (Section 352), snatching (Section 304(2)), and rioting (Section 191(2)).
Meanwhile, a video surfaced showing a mob vandalizing Akbar Khan’s shop. Police have registered a suo motu FIR against 50–60 unidentified individuals under charges of rioting, mischief (Section 324(4)), and disobeying public orders (Section 223).
In a video statement shared on social media, Sonika refuted the kidnapping claims. She alleged that she was forced to flee her home due to threats from her family, whom she said were influenced by right-wing groups like the RSS and Bajrang Dal. She claimed her mother physically assaulted her and issued death threats against both her and her husband. “I left home and went to my husband’s place for my own safety. No action should be taken against his family. I also don’t want any action against my own family. I am with my husband of my own free will,” she said in the video.
However, in the complaint filed by her father, Chauhan alleges that Akbar forcibly took Sonika from her salon around 6 PM on May 24. He further accused several women from Akbar’s family of engaging in a physical altercation with him and his wife, and claimed that Akbar issued threats demanding their approval of the marriage.
ACP Abhilash Srivastava confirmed that Sonika is an adult and said she would soon record her statement before a magistrate. While the couple claims they are legally married, police stated they have not yet received official documentation verifying their marital status. Sonika has undergone a medical examination and is currently staying with her family under police observation.Investigations into the mob violence and the conflicting claims from both families are ongoing.
