Bhopal, August 20 (HS): The sensational case of missing advocate Archana Tiwari (29) has taken a dramatic turn, with police revealing that she had staged her own disappearance to escape pressure from her family to marry against her will. After a 12-day search, Archana was traced to the Nepal border and flown back to Bhopal on Wednesday.
Archana went missing on August 7 while traveling between Indore and Katni on the Narmada Express (AC coach). Her abandoned belongings, including her dupatta and a broken phone, initially prompted fears of an accident or foul play. But a painstaking investigation has shown the “missing case” was a planned escape.
Planned Disappearance
Railway SP Rahul Kumar Lodha said Archana, an advocate preparing for the Civil Judge exam, had repeatedly clashed with her family over their insistence on arranging a marriage with a local patwari (land records officer). Determined to focus on her studies, she allegedly devised the plan before Raksha Bandhan.
With the help of two acquaintances—Tejinder Singh of Itarsi and Saaransh Jain of Shujalpur—she got off the train secretly at Narmadapuram, disguised herself, and then moved across multiple locations: Indore → Hyderabad → Delhi → Dhanguarhi (Nepal border) → Kathmandu. She stayed in Nepal with local contacts, using a Nepali SIM card to communicate.
Cover-Up and Police Trail
To mislead investigators, Archana purposely left her bag and dupatta on the train, making it appear she had fallen off. Rail police examined over 2,000 CCTV feeds and traced her movement step by step with CDR (call detail) analysis. Eventually, with assistance from the Nepal Embassy and Lakhimpur Kheri Police, she was deported back to India.
Police Clarification
In her statement, Archana denied any kidnapping or mistreatment, saying it was her own decision to flee. She said she would not marry until she becomes a judge, adding she wanted to live independently and continue her studies.
Investigators have also questioned Saaransh Jain, who works with an agricultural drone company in Indore, over his role in aiding her movement. Meanwhile, Tejinder Singh, who helped her initially, has reportedly been taken into custody by Delhi Police in a separate fraud case.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
