Anju Rafael, the 34-year-old woman from Rajasthan who embarked on a journey to Pakistan to marry her Facebook acquaintance in July, has made her return to India, setting off a series of inquiries and legal scrutiny.
Upon her arrival, Anju briefly addressed reporters, expressing contentment with her return. She crossed the Wagah border and underwent interrogation at a Border Security Force camp. Further questioning awaits her, potentially in New Delhi, following her recent trip to Pakistan and marriage to 29-year-old Nasarullah from the Upper Dir district of Khyber.
Anju’s trip and reported marriage in Pakistan stirred controversy and legal repercussions back in India. Her husband of ten years, Arvind Kumar from Bhiwadi, filed multiple charges under sections 366, 494, 500, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. These charges include allegations of kidnapping to compel marriage, marrying without divorcing the previous partner, defamation, and criminal intimidation.
Earlier reports in October hinted at Anju’s plans to return home to meet her two children, a 15-year-old daughter, and a six-year-old son. The police authorities in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, had indicated intentions to interrogate both Anju and her husband, Arvind Kumar, upon her return to the district.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Yogesh Dadhich confirmed that formal interrogations would take place upon her arrival, highlighting the significance of understanding the circumstances surrounding her trip and marriage.
Meanwhile, Nasarullah, her purported husband in Pakistan, disclosed that Anju, known as Fatima after her reported conversion to Islam, had sought government approval for her visit to Rajasthan. He mentioned the pending process of obtaining a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Islamabad interior ministry, a prerequisite for her trip back to India.
The return of Anju Rafael marks the continuation of a complex and legally fraught narrative, prompting inquiries, legal scrutiny, and heightened attention to the circumstances surrounding her journey and marriage abroad.
Sources By Agencies