A woman from Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh, Sapna, has made a sensation in the neighbourhood after she eloped with her daughter's would-be groom just ten days before the wedding. She surrendered at a police station and disclosed the reasons for taking such a sudden decision, which has left two families shocked.

Breaking her silence, Sapna claimed that a troubled family life pushed her to take the step. She alleged that her husband, Jitendra Kumar, used to drink and beat her up and that her daughter often argued with her as well. “Which is why,” she said, “she took the step.”

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In a statement that has now gone viral, a defiant Sapna declared, "I will live with Rahul, whatever happens." She further added that she chose to return only after the police began investigating the case. "I will marry him and live with him," she repeated, standing by her decision.

Rahul Kumar, the man Sapna’s daughter was engaged to, also surrendered with her. A resident of the Dadon police station area, he had escaped with Sapna on April 6, few days prior to the wedding. Their sudden vanishing left shock waves among their families, who had been getting ready for the wedding.

Jitendra Kumar, Sapna's husband, previously informed police that his wife would talk to Rahul for hours a day prior to the elopement. The relationship had grown over time without the knowledge of the family, he said.

There were also grave charges by Sapna's daughter, Shivani, who alleged that her mother had run away with a large sum of money and jewellery. Shivani charged her mother with swiping ₹3.5 lahks in cash from the family almirah and jewellery worth more than ₹5 lakhs.

But Sapna refuted these accusations. She argued, "I was only carrying a mobile and ₹200 when I left." Her version contradicted the claims of her family and added to the already complicated affair.

In his defense, while telling his side of the story, Rahul Kumar revealed that he agreed to elope with Sapna as she threatened to kill herself if he didn't. "She said if I didn't meet her at the Aligarh bus stop, she would die. So, I went," he said. He continued to explain that after the meeting, the two first proceeded to Lucknow and then to Muzaffarpur.

Rahul also repeated Sapna's complaints of ill-treatment, alleging that her in-laws and husband used to "torture" her. In spite of their professed love and emotional distress, when quizzed outright on whether he would marry Sapna, Rahul did not commit. "There's nothing like that," he said at first. After a momentary pause, he added, "Will do."

Meanwhile, Sapna’s family has taken a firm stance against her return. Her brother-in-law Dinesh firmly stated, "We don't want her (Sapna) back. We just want the things that she took away with her." He also demanded that Sapna return the money and Jewel allegedly taken from the in-laws' home. "Action should be taken against her for what she has done. My brother-in-law and my niece are still in shock," he added.

Dinesh also refuted Sapna’s claims of abuse. "I used to stay at her house for months. I have never seen anything like that," he said, disputing the picture she painted of her marriage.

Local authorities at the police department have provided no official statements regarding this case despite public curiosity. High emotional tension and opposing testimonies between parties maintain public interest in this case throughout the local and national populations.

Both Sapna and Rahul face an uncertain wait for the legal system to resolve their situation, even while their decisive act raises questions about freedom rights alongside ethical and family restraint issues. While their future plans for marriage are unknown right now, the effects their current conduct has caused on their families continue to draw broad nationwide interest.