Images from the married life of Sonika Chauhan and Akbar Khan
The woman whose complaint was allegedly falsely recorded to arrest her Muslim husband in Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram said that her family was confining her and was not allowed to meet her legally married husband even after his release on bail, following nearly two weeks in jail.
Twenty-nine-year-old Akbar Khan was arrested for allegedly kidnapping 25-year-old Sonika Chauhan and coercing her into marriage. However, according to a report by Scroll.in, Chauhan denied all allegations against her husband and asserted that they were married under the Special Marriage Act in August 2022. The authenticity of their marriage certificate has reportedly been verified by the portal, which also confirmed details with a listed witness.
Chauhan has alleged that her family has been holding her against her will and coercing her to divorce Khan. She has claimed that she was assaulted, forcibly moved between locations, and made to record a video falsely affirming her safety at home. She further alleged that her phone was taken away and threats were made against her husband’s family to prevent her from contacting outsiders or giving a statement in court.
While the family declined to respond to Scroll.in’s interview requests, police authorities have dismissed her allegations and indicated that her statement would be recorded in court. Chauhan, however, has expressed dissatisfaction with the police response and questioned why her husband was imprisoned while those who attacked their businesses remained at large.
The controversy intensified following rioting in the Nyay Khand locality on 26 May, when a mob of around 50 to 60 individuals reportedly vandalised the couple’s businesses. Chauhan had been operating a beauty parlour, and Khan ran a service centre for assisting with government documentation. No arrests have been made in connection with the mob violence, according to the police.
Trouble began two days earlier, on 24 May, when Chauhan’s parents visited her workplace and confronted the couple. Although the father claimed he was unaware of the marriage, Chauhan contested this narrative and shared an image showing her father with her husband during the parlour’s inauguration.
Following the altercation, Khan was arrested on 25 May based on a complaint filed by Chauhan’s father, who accused him of coercion and violence. Khan was later released on bail on 8 June, but Chauhan has said her family prevented any contact between them since then.