Ramprasad

Mahila police

touch

Shivraj

Sachin

Age is no bar when it comes to love. A 17-year-old girl has fallen for her 50-year-old neighbour, but the girl’s family has accused the man of wooing their daughter using black magic. Avni, a class 11 student in Vatva has been seeing their neighbourwho is married with two children, including a 22-year-old daughter, for the past eight months. The odd couple refuses to end the dalliance despite family pressure and is waiting for the girl to turn 18, the complaint filed atstation in Mithakhali states. The duo first met when their new neighbour visited their house on Uttarayan this year.Both started seeing each other and love blossomed. Around two months ago, Avni’s family discovered their relationship and confronted her. She confessed her love for the 50-year-old and threatened to commit suicide if her parents did not allow her to have her way. The minor’s parents confronted Ramprasad and told him to stop all communication with their daughter. In the presence of his wife, Ramprasad who works at Vatva GIDC denied meeting the girl. Meanwhile, the lovers continued to keep inand met whenever possible. Later, other residents of the area too confirmed their relationship to Ramprasad’s family. However, his wife refused to believe that her husband can cheat on her or lure a minor.Finally, the girl’s family shifted to Ghodasar 20 days ago to live with her father’s brother. But that did not deter the duo from meeting up. Ramprasad started visiting the locality to see his girlfriend and was once caught together by Avni’s 19-year-old brother. When her family confronted him, he threatened to elope with Avni as soon as she turned an adult. With things getting out of hand, the girl’s family filed a complaint with Mahila police station on Monday alleging their neighbour lured their daughter away with black magic. “She is good in studies and has scored 60 per cent marks in class 10. She is fine doing the daily chores, but becomes aggressive the moment we resist her relationship with the man. We are sure she has eaten something laced with black magic,” said her dad. Mahila police station PSI N H Mor confirmed receiving the complaint. “The girl’s mother claims the couple is threatening to get married and her daughter has been bewitched. We are investigating the matter,” Mor said. (Names changed to protect identitie