Instagram Love Leads to Kidnapping Scare in Gujarat

A 21-year-old woman from Madhya Pradesh was apprehended by Surat police after allegedly abducting a 17-year-old boy from Rajkot, Gujarat. The two had connected on Instagram approximately 18 months prior, and their online friendship evolved into a romantic relationship with mutual promises. Their clandestine plan to elope was disrupted when the woman's family arranged her marriage to someone else.

In response, she left her home on March 6, traveled to Mumbai, and then returned to Surat with the minor. The boy's family had reported him missing, prompting Rajkot police to register a kidnapping case. A breakthrough occurred on March 9 when Surat Railway Police's SHE team observed the couple exhibiting suspicious behavior in the general waiting room at Surat railway station. Their questioning revealed the ongoing kidnapping investigation, leading to the prompt involvement of Rajkot Police. Both individuals were subsequently handed over to Rajkot Police for further proceedings, ensuring the minor's safe return to his family.