Rising Tide of Elopements: Married Mothers Across India Abandon Families for Forbidden Love

 

New Delhi, December 30, 2025 

In a startling trend sweeping across India's diverse regions, dozens of married women—many with young children in tow or left behind—have been eloping with lovers, leaving behind shattered families, financial woes, and emotional devastation. From the bustling streets of Uttar Pradesh to the misty hills of West Bengal, these stories of passion overriding familial duty highlight deepening societal cracks, fueled by social media connections, unfulfilled marital expectations, and a quiet rebellion against traditional norms. Police reports and media accounts from 2025 reveal at least 20 high-profile cases, but experts warn the actual number could be far higher, with many incidents going unreported due to stigma.

Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, has emerged as an epicenter for such dramas. In January, a 36-year-old woman from Hardoi district fled her home with a local beggar, abandoning her husband of over a decade and their six children, aged between 2 and 12. The husband, a daily wage laborer, discovered her affair after noticing missing household items and her frequent absences. "She said she deserved a life beyond scrubbing floors and feeding mouths," he told local media, his voice breaking as he described the children's confusion.

The year took an even more scandalous turn in April when a mother in Aligarh eloped with her daughter's 25-year-old fiancé just 10 days before the wedding. Anita Devi, 45, packed jewelry and cash before vanishing with Rahul, citing an irresistible bond formed during wedding preparations. Her daughter, the jilted bride, expressed fury: "I was set to marry him on April 16, but my own mother stole my future." Police traced the pair to a nearby town, where Devi defiantly declared, "I'll marry him myself." The case sparked nationwide outrage, with social media erupting in debates over maternal betrayal.

Not far away in Bijnor, another March incident saw a 32-year-old mother of three flee with her lover, allegedly pocketing ₹3 lakh in cash and 6 tolas of gold. Her husband filed a theft complaint alongside a missing person report, claiming the lover had been a family acquaintance. The children, now in their grandparents' care, have been reportedly asking, "When is Mummy coming back with toys?"

Shifting eastward to West Bengal, the phenomenon has taken a more anonymous form. In the first half of 2025 alone, over 500 married women went missing from Kolkata and surrounding districts, with police attributing many cases to elopements triggered by online affairs. "Nearly all were housewives, many with children, vanishing after connecting on platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp," said a senior officer from the state's Criminal Investigation Department. Emotional dissatisfaction, coupled with the monotony of domestic life, appears to be a common thread.

One poignant case in June involved a 28-year-old from Hooghly district who eloped for an interfaith marriage, prompting her orthodox family to perform her "shradh" (funeral rites) while she was still alive. "She is as good as dead to us," her father stated publicly, underscoring the cultural chasm. The woman, now in hiding with police protection, has two toddlers and has appealed for custody, highlighting the legal battles that often follow such unions.

In the South, Karnataka witnessed a bizarre twist in January when a woman from Belagavi eloped not just with her lover but also their two young children, an LPG cylinder, utensils, and even her husband's car. The 35-year-old, married for eight years, left a note citing "irreconcilable differences" and an desire for a fresh start. Neighbors described her as "trapped in a loveless home," and the case drew attention to how some women are taking entire families—or fragments thereof—into their new lives.

Further west, Rajasthan's arid landscapes hid a tale of digital romance gone awry. A mother of five from Jaisalmer, married for 12 years, abandoned her family in early 2025 after falling for a man she met on Instagram. Though the incident gained traction later in the year, it exemplifies how social media bridges rural isolation, leading to impulsive decisions. Her husband, a farmer, struggled to explain the void to their children, the eldest just 10.

In neighboring Maharashtra, a similar story unfolded when a woman from Palghar eloped earlier in the year, only to be "rescued" from a forced marriage in Rajasthan's Barmer district. Sold by her lover for ₹2 lakh, she returned to her child but vowed never to reconcile with her original family, calling the elopement "a cry for freedom."

These elopements, often romanticized in Bollywood but brutal in reality, have left a trail of traumatized children, bankrupt households, and overburdened law enforcement. Sociologists point to rising female literacy and smartphone penetration as double-edged swords: empowering women to seek autonomy while exposing them to tempting alternatives.

"Marriage in India is still seen as a lifelong contract, but when love fades, so does tolerance," notes Dr. Priya Sharma, a gender studies expert at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Counseling hotlines report a 30% spike in calls from distressed spouses in 2025, urging a shift toward supportive dialogues over judgment.