Days after eloping with her would-be son-in-law, Sapna Devi has returned home to Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, where the couple will live together.
Devi’s daughter Shivani was to marry Rahul on 16 April. Wedding cards were printed and preparations were in full swing at their homes. Just a week before the wedding on April 8, Devi disappeared from her home with cash and jewellery. At the same time, Rahul also became untraceable.
The incident came to light last week when Devi’s husband, Jitendra Kumar, filed a missing persons complaint.
Upon their return, the Aligarh police counselled the couple for 12 hours straight where they made Devi talk to her husband and family, officials said. However, as she remained firm on her decision to stay with Rahul, the police let her go.
Police counsel Sapna Devi.
According to Devi, she was “mentally tortured” by her husband and daughter, and so, she will never return and live with them.
Rahul said he “saved Devi’s life”. “We both have decided to live together,” he said.
Devi, when she ran away with Rahul, took over Rs 3.5 lakh and jewellery worth over Rs 5 lakh from home, her daughter had said.
“I was supposed to marry Rahul on April 16, and my mother eloped with him on Sunday. Rahul and my mother used to talk on the phone a lot over the past three to four months. We had Rs 3.5 lakh in cash in the almirah and jewellery worth over Rs 5 lakh. She has done everything he asked him to. She has not left even Rs 10 behind. My mother has taken all our money. She can do what she wants now, we don’t care. All we want is that the money and jewellery should be returned to us,” she said.
On the other hand, Devi’s husband, who runs a business in Bengaluru, claimed that he will not let his wife and Rahul go till she gives all the money and jewellery back.
Earlier, Jitendra had said he had heard Devi talking to Rahul for hours on end, but had decided not to say anything since the wedding was scheduled to take place soon.
(With inputs from Adnan Khan)