Various news outlets reported on January 7 that a 36-year-old woman from Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh had allegedly left her husband and six children, and eloped with a beggar.
ABP News published a report on this event, noting that the husband, identified as Raju, had filed a police complaint, under Section 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to the crime of abducting a woman. The husband had suspected his wife, Rajeshwari, of an extramarital affair with a man named Nanhe Pandit, who sometimes used to beg in the neighbourhood. (Archive)
Deccan Herald reported that the 36-year-old woman had often been seen talking with the Pandit for long hours, but little did the family apprehend that the two could fall in love with each other. (Archive)
Besides, various other popular news outlets in India, like Times Now, Jansatta, News 18, reported on this incident from Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the woman had eloped with a beggar, deserting her husband and six children. (Archived links: 1, 2, 3)
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Several other users on X also amplified the claim.
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Fact Check
A keyword search in Hindi led us to a clarification, issued by the verified X account of Hardoi Police (@hardoipolice). It states that on January 5, a man named Raju, from Lamkan village in the district of Hardoi, had filed a report at the Harpalpur police station, claiming that his wife Rajeshwari had absconded with a man named Nanhe Pandit, along with all the money in their house.
Rajeshwari, on being notified that a case had been registered by her husband, turned herself in voluntarily at the Harpalpur police station, and clarified that she had left her husband because of his abusive tendencies. Angered by the fact that he would frequently mistreat her and beat her up, Rajeshwari had left her home and gone to stay at her relative's house, in Farrukhabad. The police statement clearly states that allegations levelled against the woman of eloping with someone were false and baseless.
In short, the viral claim that a 36-year-old woman had left with a beggar deserting her husband and six children is false. The woman, identified as Rajeshwari, had gone to a relative's house, to escape her husband's abuse and physical violence.
Clarification Issued by India Today and The Times of India
The official X handle of India Today (@IndiaToday) had shared the viral claim on January 7. However, after the clarification issued by Hardoi Police, the news outlet tweeted an update.
Times of India (@timesofindia) was another news outlet that misreported the incident. Upon the disclosure of Rajeshwari's account, they also updated their story. The original tweet, however, is still live and provides no clarification on the event.
The updated story carries the headline, "Left due to repeated abuse": UP woman denies eloping with beggar".
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