A young Pakistani couple that claimed they were underage when they were apprehended near the Kutch border last month have been found to be adults after medical examination, leading to charges for attempting to enter India unlawfully.
Police identified the pair as Toto, also known as Tara Chudi, and Meena, also known as Puja Chudi, residents of Islamkot tehsil in Pakistan’s Tharparkar district.
According to investigators, the two fled their homes after their families strongly opposed their relationship and believed India would offer them safety. They were intercepted on October 8 near Ratanpar village in Kutch.
Throughout questioning by multiple security agencies, the couple repeatedly claimed they were 15 and 16 years old and said they had run away because they feared their families would block their marriage. They carried no official papers to support their claims.
Three days across the desert
Kutch police sources said the couple left their village shortly after midnight on October 4. Their route took them across desert terrain, over a hill, and past border pillar 1027 near the Bhanjna Bhainshala outpost, which lies amid Banni grassland and open desert. Officers said the two survived three days on foot without any food.
A month-long medical examination at the government hospital in Bhuj determined that Toto is around 21, while Meena is estimated to be between 18 and 20 years old. Following this assessment, Khadir police (Kutch East) arrested them on Tuesday under provisions of the Immigration Act, Foreigners Act, and Passport Act. Though nothing illegal was found in their possession, they had no documents to establish their identities or ages.
Kutch (East) superintendent of police Sagar Bagmar told a section of the media that, with the couple’s consent, brain mapping and polygraph tests are expected to be conducted.
Investigators said the duo admitted they could have run away to any location within Pakistan but deliberately chose the Kutch border, believing that if they crossed into India, their families would not be able to track them down. One official involved in their questioning described their journey as something the two had treated as both a plan and an adventure.
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