In a huge relief to the parents and well wishers of two teenagers, the Cyberabad police finally traced the youngsters who went missing on Thursday, after they were coerced into a marriage in the Oxygen Park in Medchal by a bunch of goons. The incident provoked wide outrage.
Even as the girl was missing, vicious rumours were spread on social media that the girl had killed herself, causing extreme distress to her parents and family members. However, almost after 20 hours, the police found the duo at Siddipet, said Inspector of Medchal, Gangadhar.
“After the video went viral, the teenagers panicked and were afraid to go back home. So they kept moving on their vehicle without taking shelter anywhere, which is why we couldn't locate them,” Balanagar zone DCP Padmaja told TNM.
The Cyberabad police said that the duo were detained around 6 pm at Siddipet, following which they were subsequently produced before the court.
The teenagers were also offered counselling before they were reunited with their parents. “Even their parents were offered counselling,” said the DCP.
“We had alerted the Siddipet police and kept a vigil, knowing that the boy might come there; that’s how we were able to find them,” said a police officer.
On Thursday, a few goons, who opposed Valentine's Day, found these teenagers hanging out in the park and threatened the boy to tie a mangalsutra around the girl's neck. They filmed the entire act and shared it online, which was shared by scores of people online, without realising the repercussions.
Though Medchal police could have taken Suo Motu action, they refused to file a case stating that the marriage was consensual when it was evident from the video that they were being threatened.
However, later the girl's father had lodged a complaint, following which police detained all the six accused. The main accused in the crime was identified as Srihari Chary, resident of Medchal and a member of Bahujan Samaj Party.