Anju-Nasrullah Love Story: Anju Thomas– a 34-year-old Indian woman who had travelled to Pakistan where she married her Facebook friend Nasrullah— returned to India on Wednesday via the Attari-Wagah border and revealed the reasons for her return during questioning by intelligence authorities upon her entry into the country.
Reports citing sources said that Anju was grilled by sleuths of the Punjab Police intelligence wing and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) upon her entry into India via the Wagah border and was later allowed to fly to New Delhi on late Wednesday night.
According to a report by India Today, Anju was asked about the reason for her return to the country and revealed she came back to divorce her estranged Indian husband, Arvind, and take her two kids back with her to Pakistan.
News: Anju Thomas who travelled to Pakistan to marry her social media friend in July, returned to India.pic.twitter.com/2YzRIGO5e7
— Vartika Singh (@VartikaOnX) November 30, 2023
Citing sources, the report said that Anju, now Fatima, told intelligence sleuths that she travelled to Pakistan on July 27 this year where she converted to Islam, changed her name to Fatima, and married her lover Nasrullah, son of Guimula Khan, resident of Mohalla Kalsu Post in Dir district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
However, Anju did not carry any document of her marriage to Nasrullah and could not provide any documentary proof of her marriage to Nasrullah– a 29-year-old Pakistan man she befriended and fell in love with on Facebook in 2019, the sources said, according to the report.
Anju told intelligence authorities that her Pakistani husband was engaged in the “medical business” but could not give any specific details about the exact nature of his profession. The authorities also questioned her if she was in touch with Pakistan defence agencies or personnel, which she denied, the report said.
Anju landed in New Delhi and was swarmed by newsmen upon her arrival at the Delhi airport, however, she dodged all queries from the reporters. “I don’t want to say anything right now,” the 34-year-old told reporters before leaving the airport in a hurry.
#WATCH | Delhi: "I don't want to say anything right now," says Anju. https://t.co/UgfJTTjD8x pic.twitter.com/o4QYfynmju
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
Meanwhile, Anju’s Indian husband, Arvind, got furious when asked about his wife’s return to the country. “I am not interested in talking about anything related to her nor am I aware she returned to India,” said Arvind.
In a pre-recorded video shot before her departure from Pakistan, Anju showered praises upon the people of the neighbouring country saying that she received “immense respect” there and never felt lacking for anything.
In the video, Anju– flanked by her Pakistani husband Nasrullah and another man- said: “I received immense respect during my time in Pakistan, and there was never a moment where I lacked anything.”
While sharing her thoughts before departing from Pakistan, Anju @ Fatima expressed, 'I received immense respect during my time in Pakistan, and there was never a moment where I lacked anything.'
Having entered Pakistan on a tourist visa, she spent about five months in Pakistan… pic.twitter.com/7o4StWKZV9
— Ravinder Singh Robin ਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ رویندرسنگھ روبن (@rsrobin1) November 29, 2023
In the pre-recorded video message ahead of her arrival in India, Anju heaped praises upon the people of Pakistan for being generous hosts who welcomed her into their hearts and homes with open arms.
“All here are very nice people and they welcome everyone with love and respect. I never felt I was in another country or strangers. Everywhere I went, people received me with open arms and welcomed me,” Anju said.
On Wednesday, Anju was dropped off at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab’s Amritsar by her Pakistani husband Nasrullah– five months after she abruptly left her first husband and two kids behind and travelled to Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and married him.
#WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab: Anju, who had travelled to Pakistan in July returns to India
"I am happy…I have no other comments", says Anju pic.twitter.com/vKPUTsx4jx
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
Nasrullah revealed that Anju returned to India to meet her children –who are living with her first husband, Arvind, in Rajasthan– but will return to Pakistan soon.
Anju- a married woman from Rajasthan’s Alwar district, had in July this year, travelled to a remote village in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where she converted to Islam, changed her name to Fatima and got married to her lover Nasrullah– a 29-year-old man she fell in love with on Facebook.
Later, in a video shared on social media in August, Anju had asserted she was not a “traitor” as as portrayed by some sections of the media and will return to India in the near future along with her lover and purported husband Nasrullah.
In the video, Anju, with Nasrullah sitting beside her, says that she’s not a traitor and some sections of the media have spread lies about her. “The media has spread lies and rumors about me. Like Pakistan, India is a beautiful place and my home; my children are there. Its not like I am a traitor, I will visit soon along with Nasrullah.”
Anju said "I am NOT a '#gaddar'. Media distortions are causing needless chaos.
I definitely visit India along with Nasrullah after few month.#Gadar2 #Anju #Anjunasrullah #Seemasachin pic.twitter.com/AJQInMDn7o— Dileep kumar khatri (@DileepKumarPak) August 13, 2023
“I have neither betrayed my nation nor my children. My only message to everyone is to please think positively about me as I am also human,” Anju says in the video.
In September, Anju’s husband Nasrullah had said that his wife was “mentally disturbed and badly missing” her children, PTI reported.
In another video, Anju, who left her husband and kids back home in India’s Rajasthan and travelled to Pakistan to be with her 29-year-old lover, was seen celebrating Pakistan’s Independence Day.
In a video shared on Twitter, Anju is seen at party along with Nasrullah where they cut the cake on the occasion of Pakistan’s Yom-e-Azadi (Independence Day).
#WATCH : Anju and her husband Nasrullah participated in the Pakitan Independence celebration on Saturday. Anju along with Nasrullah cut the cake of Pakistan's Yom-e-Azadi (Independence Day) here. #Anju #Nasrullah #Pakistan #PakistanIndependenceDay #EXCLUSIVE… pic.twitter.com/sQ04JOrGqm
— upuknews (@upuknews1) August 12, 2023
The Pakistani authorities had in August extended Anju’s visa by one year, allowing her to stay in the country. Anju – who now goes by the name of Fatima after converting to Islam – on July 25 married her 29-year-old friend Nasrullah, whose home is in the Upper Dir district in the province. They became friends on Facebook in 2019.
Her original one-month visa was set to expire on August 20.
#WATCH : Pakistan has extended the visa of #Anju (Fatima) for One Year who entered the country in July. In a latest Video Nasrullah is saying his wife anju visa is extended for an year.#AnjuNasrullah #AnjuNasrullahLoveStory #AnjuinPakistan #anju #Pakistan #Nasrullah #latest… pic.twitter.com/MbEblJWt4T
— upuknews (@upuknews1) August 7, 2023
“The visa of my wife Anju has been extended for a year after the provision of related documents to the Interior Ministry,” Nasrullah had said, adding that “All Pakistani institutions are cooperating with us.”
Following their wedding, a real estate company had gifted the couple a plot of land in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and also presented them with a cheque.
Anju, who was born in Kailor village in Uttar Pradesh and lived in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, travelled to Pakistan legally from India via the Wagah-Attari border in July this year. She was granted a 30-day visa, valid for Upper Dir only.
Anju is married to Arvind, who is in Rajasthan. They have a 15-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.
Arvind has filed an FIR against his runaway wife and her Pakistani lover in Alwar district of Rajasthan.
According to the police, based on a complaint by Arvind, a case was registered at the Phoolbagh police station under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 366 (inducing women for marriage), 494 (second marriage without divorce), 500 (defamation) and 506 (criminal Intimidation), besides provisions of the IT Act, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Bhiwadi, Sujit Shankar told news agency PTI.
Anju’s story shares eerie similarities with that of Seema Haider, a Pakistani mother of four who entered illegally into India earlier this year via Nepal along with her four kids to marry Sachin Meena, a 22-year-old Uttar Pradesh resident she befriended and fell in love with while playing popular online shooter PUBG.
(With PTI inputs)
