Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Missing civil judge aspirant Archana Tiwari did not disappear but planned and eloped. The 28-year-old was under constant pressure by her family to leave her studies and get married.
Tiwari was finally recovered after a 12-day intensive police search from Uttar Pradesh's Kheri district, neighboring Nepal, on Tuesday night.
Addressing a press conference in Bhopal on Wednesday noon, police revealed that lawyer Archana Tiwari was under family pressure to get married and drop her studies, so she made a plan to elope. She took help from her friend Saransh and a driver, Tijender.
Tiwari lived in Hyderabad for a few days to remain hidden; however, when her news started to gain traction, she decided to leave India and shift to Nepal, but was caught.
Police rounded up Saransh, who confessed to helping Archana and disclosed the entire sequence of events.
Archana changed clothes inside train
According to police, Archana's parents had fixed her marriage with a patwari in Katni. They were pressuring her to leave her preparation for civil judge exams in Indore and get married. Despite Archana's multiple requests, the family remain adamant on their decision. So she decided to elope, with the help of Saransh and Tijender.
CCTV footage of August 7 showed Archana leaving her hostel in Indore. It was said she was visiting her family in Katni on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. She boarded the B3 coach of the Narmada Express in the evening; however, she never reached her hometown.
...That's because Archana alighted the train at Itarsi Railway Station from Coach A-1, which stopped at a camera blind spot, as suggested by driver Tijender. Not only this, but Tiwari changed her clothes inside the train to ensure she didn't get caught.
Took inroads to avoid CCTVs at toll plazas
Tijender, Saransh, and Archana now left by road for Hyderabad in an XUV. They took inside roads to avoid toll plazas, which could have easily helped police trace them.
Archana lived in Hyderabad for two or three days, but when her missing reports started to spread like wildfire, the trio had to replan. Saransh, who works in a drone-related startup, has a client in Nepal. So, it was decided that Archana can change her identity and start a new life across the eastern border.
All this while, Saransh did not use his phone so that his number's location still showed Indore. He got a new SIM issued in his father's name and used it to contact Archana and Tijender.
Archana tried to cook 'accident story'
Police said Archana deliberately left a bag at her seat to make it appear like she accidentally fell down and died. And her case would be closed considering the heavy flow of missing complaints with the GRP.
But, little did she know...reality flipped her game. News of the Katni girl missing from the train spread widely. GRP of Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, and Gwalior all swung into action. They dug up her call history and social media profiles and examined CCTV cameras of multiple railway stations.
Police got the lead, rounded up her friend Saransh, and recovered the missing girl.
