“Anju is an eccentric woman who does what she wishes and therefore, I am not in touch with her for a long time,” Gaya Prasad Thomas, father of the woman who reached Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan, allegedly to meet the man she loves, said.
Thomas, while talking to selected media persons at his home in Tekanpur of Gwalior, said that he had no knowledge of Anju’s intentions or of her alleged friendship/love with the Pakistan man.
Anju (35), wife of Arvind Kumar Meena, a resident of Bhiwadi in Alwar district of Rajasthan, had reached Rawalpindi, Pakistan on July 21, allegedly to meet Nasrullah (29), whom she befriended on social media site Facebook and apparently fell in love with.
Nasrullah resides in Kulsho village, Upper Dir district in KP province and Anju, who reached there on July 22, is said to be with Nasrullah in the village at present. According to available information, Anju's visa to Upper Dir is valid for a month, hence her visit is not illegal. Pakistan media reported quoting official sources that both Anju and Nasrullah had told authorities that they were in love and wanted to marry.
The incident has sparked considerable interest as it comes close on heels of the case of Seema Haider (30), a Pakistani woman who reached Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh via Nepal after reportedly marrying Sachin Meena (22) of Rabupura village. This illegal entry into India of a Pakistan woman has on one hand sparked stories on strength of love and on the other concerns about border security.
Meanwhile, Anju crossed into Pakistan with a valid visa on July 21. Her husband Arvind told media agencies that Anju told him she was travelling to Jaipur to meet her friends. Later, Anju made a video call to her kids and him and informed them that she had come to Lahore (Pakistan) and would be back home in a few days. Arvind said she would be allowed to return as she has all the legal documents.
Arvind Kumar said that he has not made any police complaint since Anju has said she would be back soon, but, the decision whether the family would accept her back will depend on the children. The couple has a 15-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son.
Anju’s father Gaya Prasad Thomas told media persons that he hasn’t spoken to or visited Anju in years. Anju has also not visited her parents home since her marriage 17-18 years ago. Prasad said that he stopped talking to Anju due to her eccentricity, due to which she even hit her children sometimes.
Thomas, who was initially reluctant to discuss the matter, said that Anju, eldest of his five daughters and a son, was mainly raised by her maternal uncle’s family in Jalaun of Uttar Pradesh. She works in a private firm in Bhiwadi, apparently as a security guard.
Thomas said he had no knowledge of Anju’s Pakistan travel, but said that she might not have done it out of love for a Pakistani man. “She is of good character and nature that way,” he said. He praised his son-in-law as a ‘good simple’ man and added Arvind had called him up on Sunday night to inform the matter.
Antri police in Gwalior reached Thomas’ home in Tekanpur to collect information on the case on Monday too, but he told them he had no knowledge of Anju’s intentions.