Bhagalpur: A dramatic scene unfolded near Jicho Durga Temple in Bhagalpur on Friday when a woman, identified as Meena Kumari (name changed), was seen pleading with her live-in partner to let her go back to her husband and children. The incident attracted a large crowd as the argument escalated into physical violence.
According to eyewitnesses, the woman, a mother of five, had left her husband about a year ago to live with a man named Anurag, a driver by profession. On Friday, she was reportedly on her way back to her husband when Anurag confronted her and attempted to stop her, leading to a heated argument on the road.
Meena Kumari told the crowd, “Initially, he took my phone number and started calling me. He trapped me in a web of love. Under pressure, I left my husband and lived with him for a year. Now I want to go back to my children, but he’s not letting me go. He forces himself on me. My husband has forgiven me.”
As she narrated her ordeal, Anurag allegedly struck her with a stick and shouted, “I will not let you go anywhere. You must stay with me.”
The confrontation soon drew a crowd, and local residents intervened to stop the assault. Meena, folding her hands, pleaded with Anurag and the onlookers to allow her to return home.
In her account, Meena claimed that Anurag initially befriended her under false pretenses. “About a year ago, he stopped me on the road saying his phone wasn’t working and used mine to make a call. Then he started calling me repeatedly and even threatened to harm my husband if I didn’t talk to him,” she said.
Anurag, however, insisted that he genuinely loved Meena. “We have been living together for a year. Her husband once filed a case against me, but she told the police she wanted to stay with me, so the matter was dropped,” he said.
Meanwhile, Meena’s husband expressed willingness to take her back. “I have no complaints against anyone. Everyone makes mistakes. She left me under someone’s influence, but now she realizes it. I just want my wife back — our children need their mother,” he said.
After nearly two hours of chaos, locals reportedly beat Anurag and warned him not to harass Meena again. Some women from the neighborhood accompanied Meena to her rented room, helped her collect her belongings, and ensured she reached her husband and children safely.
Police have not yet confirmed if a formal complaint has been filed in the matter.
