SURAT: The Special Operation Group (SOG) team nabbed a runaway couple from Delhi-Agra highway on Wednesday. The two had eloped from the city’s Varachha area a week back. As per the plan made by the two, they had even made an extortion call to the girl’s father so as to prevent him from searching for her.
The police said that the couple had been planning the escape for the last three months as the two families, belonging to different castes, were against their relationship. On Wednesday, police brought 22-year-old Payal Solanki and 20-year-old Aakash Khatiq back to the city after catching them from near a toll plaza when the two were on their way to Agra. The couple had kept police running through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi.
Solanki’s father Lakha, a diamond artisan, had lodged a complaint at Varachha police station on July 28 that his daughter had been kidnapped. He also claimed to have received a call demanding Rs 10 lakh ransom. However, police had suspected that Solanki had eloped since she left home on the pretext of going to the market.
Khatiq supports his father Rajkumar in running a fair price shop and had developed friendship with Solanki a year ago. Solanki was preparing for a CA course and went to a tuition class where she met Khatiq. Their friendship further grew through Instagram.
After the two families rejected their marriage proposal, Solanki and Khatiq planned to run away. “For the last three months the couple was preparing to elope. Apart from saving Rs 50,000, Khatiq had also purchased six SIM cards, clothes and bags. The two had watched several online videos on how to dodge the cops,” said a police officer.
They did not stay at one place for more than 12 hours and travelled only by long route buses, police said. After leaving the city they first went to Rajasthan later moved to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi. They changed SIM cards and mobile phones to avoid getting traced through electronic surveillance. But police kept close watch on their movement through other mediums. They also tried for a registered marriage before escaping. But with Khatiq yet to attain the age of 21 years they were not able to get married.
