Three Young Women Escape Forced Marriage, Rescued from Delhi

Late at night on 25 November, Delhi police quietly rescued three young women , aged between 18 and 22 , who had fled their village in Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh) to escape forced marriage and family conflict. The women, from Mahawatpur Billoch village, had left home earlier that day. Two of them had eloped because their friendship was strongly opposed by their families over long-standing enmity between households; the third had run away to avoid an arranged or forced marriage she did not consent to. 

Thanks to CCTV footage, police traced their location in Delhi late Tuesday night. Immediately after rescue, the women were counseled, and the local Mahila Shakti Kendra was asked to mediate with their families to ensure safe return and to prevent coercive marriage pressures. While the women were reunited with their families, authorities emphasised that such cases are part of a larger, worrying trend , in the last 11 days alone, five young women from the area had gone missing under similar circumstances.

For many, this incident underscores the fragile line between familial expectation and individual freedom, especially for young women. It reflects deep-rooted social pressures that still push women into arranged or forced marriages, sometimes disregarding their consent. The rescue not only saved three lives but also sparked critical conversations around agency, choice, and the need for stronger community-level support for women who dare to assert their independence.