The couple, 29-year-old Akbar Khan and Sonika Chauhan, had reportedly been in a relationship for nine years before getting married legally
LUCKNOW – In a disturbing incident highlighting growing tensions surrounding interfaith marriages in India, a Muslim man in Ghaziabad was arrested and his shop vandalised after it emerged that he had married a Hindu woman under the Special Marriage Act in 2022.
The couple, 29-year-old Akbar Khan and Sonika Chauhan, had reportedly been in a relationship for nine years before getting married legally. However, fearing social and familial backlash, they had been living separately since their union.
The situation escalated on 24 May when Sonika’s family discovered the marriage. Her father, Laxman Chauhan, filed a police complaint with Indirapuram Police Station, accusing Khan of kidnapping and wrongfully confining his daughter.
Following the complaint, Ghaziabad Police raided Khan’s home in the Naya Khand area of Indirapuram and arrested two of his sisters. Later, Akbar himself was taken into custody and booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 352 (assault or use of criminal force), 304(2) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 87 (act likely to cause harm), and 191(2) (rioting).
A senior police officer, ACP Abhilash Shrivastava, stated: “Sonika is an adult. She will be presented before a magistrate within two to three days to record her official statement. Although the couple claims to be married under the Special Marriage Act, we have not yet received legal documents to verify this.”
Sonika has been sent for medical examination and is currently in her family’s custody, as per police protocol.
In a video that surfaced online following the incident, a mob was seen vandalising Akbar Khan’s shop. The footage shows unidentified individuals smashing property, raising concerns over communal hatred and targeted violence.
Police have since registered a case against unknown persons involved in the destruction of Khan’s business premises.
In a separate video statement posted on social media, Sonika strongly refuted her father’s claims, alleging that she left her home due to repeated threats and physical violence from her family.
“My family is under the influence of RSS and Bajrang Dal. They threatened me and beat me when they found out about my marriage,” Sonika said in the video, adding that her mother physically assaulted her and threatened to kill both her and her husband. “I left home of my own free will. I want no action against my husband or his family. I also don’t want any action against my own family,” she said.
Contradicting Sonika’s statement, her father claimed that Akbar Khan had abducted her from her salon and had used threats to force the family to accept the marriage.
He alleged, “Akbar came to the salon, fought with us, and said he would kill us if we didn’t let him marry our daughter. He then ran away with her. She is under his pressure.”
The father also claimed that women from Akbar’s family attacked him and his wife when they tried to resist.
The couple reportedly married under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which allows interfaith and inter-caste couples to marry without religious conversion. However, such unions are often met with hostility, especially in northern Indian states where right-wing groups actively oppose them.
Lawyers and civil rights activists have expressed concern over the misuse of criminal charges in interfaith marriage cases. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior advocate from Delhi said, “When the woman is an adult and has married of her own volition, police should refrain from filing kidnapping cases unless there’s evidence of coercion. In this case, the immediate arrest and vandalism raise serious questions.”
While the police acted swiftly in arresting Akbar and his sisters, there has been little clarity on efforts to identify or apprehend those involved in vandalising his shop.
Activists argue that law enforcement agencies must act impartially and protect citizens irrespective of religious identity.
“The police seem more focused on appeasing the complainant’s family than ensuring justice. What about the mob that attacked the man’s shop?” questioned a Ghaziabad-based social worker.
The case has reignited debate around interfaith marriages in India, particularly in states like Uttar Pradesh, where the state government has passed laws aimed at curbing what it terms ‘love jihad’ — an alleged conspiracy theory claiming Muslim men lure Hindu women into marriage and religious conversion.
Critics argue that such laws embolden vigilante groups and often lead to false criminal charges against Muslim men.
Human rights lawyer Teesta Setalvad remarked, “We are witnessing growing criminalisation of love, especially when it crosses religious boundaries. The state machinery must ensure that constitutional rights are not overridden by communal prejudices.”
As of now, Akbar remains in police custody, and Sonika’s official statement is pending before the magistrate. The legal status of their marriage under the Special Marriage Act is yet to be verified.
The Ghaziabad Police have assured that investigations are ongoing, both in connection with the alleged kidnapping and the vandalism of Khan’s shop.
