Freewill marriage: Police take runaway couple into custody

SUKKUR: The Ghotki police took into custody a couple from Khanpur Mahar on Saturday, who had eloped from Khanewal and gotten married of their freewill in a district and sessions court in Ghotki a month ago.

Sumaira Malik and Muhammad Hameed were arrested during a raid near Lund Bazaar by a police team, which was led by Khanpur SHO Mahar Zulfiqar Mahar. The couple hails from Chak 64 from Khanewal. The freewill marriage had sparked anger among the family members of both Malik and Malano and around seven people from Khanewal were searching for the missing couple in Khanpur Mahar to kill them. The police were tipped off about the missing couple and managed to take them in custody to protect them from getting killed by their relatives. They also arrested three of seven suspects, identified as Yakoob, Rafiq and Manzoor.

The couple will be produced in the court today (Monday) to record their statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.  A journalist from Khanpur Mahar, requesting anonymity, claimed that SHO Zulfiqar Mahar released the three suspects after taking bribe. However, the SHO was not available for the verification of this claim. Upon contact, Ghotki SSP Masood Bangash told The Express Tribune that the Khanpur Mahar police have taken the couple into custody, but denied that the police released three men after accepting bribe.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2016.