A 19-year-old college student who eloped with her boyfriend after her family arranged her marriage elsewhere died just hours after the couple declared themselves married at Purnia Junction railway station in Bihar.
A 19-year-old college student who eloped with her boyfriend after her family arranged her marriage elsewhere died just hours after the couple declared themselves married at Purnia Junction railway station in Bihar. Police have taken the boyfriend into custody and are questioning him.
The deceased, identified as Manisha Kumari, was a BA Part-I student from Butterbari under the Nagar police station area in Araria district. She died on Monday evening at Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Purnia, after falling critically ill near the City Kali Temple.
According to police, Manisha had been in a relationship with Dilkhush Kumar, 20, an Intermediate student from Palasi in Araria, for nearly a year. The two reportedly met on Instagram and gradually grew close through regular conversations.
Their relationship took a dramatic turn after Manisha’s family arranged her marriage with another man. Unwilling to accept the decision, the couple allegedly decided to leave home and begin a life together.
On Monday, August 10, at around 11.30 am, Dilkhush reportedly took Manisha from Araria. The couple reached Purnia Junction at around 2 pm. In the absence of family members and without any formal wedding rituals, Dilkhush applied vermilion to Manisha’s forehead inside the railway station and declared her his wife.
The couple then spent the night at the station. Dilkhush also posted a photograph of the purported wedding on Instagram that evening.
But within hours, the celebration turned into tragedy.
On Monday evening, the couple reportedly walked from Rambagh towards the City Kali Temple to offer prayers. Amid the intense heat, Manisha complained of severe dizziness. Her condition soon deteriorated, leaving Dilkhush alarmed.
He reportedly seated her by the roadside and sought assistance from people nearby. With the help of locals, Manisha was rushed to GMCH Purnia, where doctors attempted to treat her. However, she died during treatment.
Manisha’s brother said the family had been searching for her since she went missing. After discovering Dilkhush’s wedding post on Instagram, they reportedly went to his house but were turned away.
Later that evening, Dilkhush’s friends informed Manisha’s family about her death.
Police from K Hat reached the hospital, took custody of the body and sent it for a post-mortem examination.
“Dilkhush is currently in police custody and is being questioned. Officers are reconstructing the timeline—from their departure from Araria and the marriage at Purnia Junction to the sudden death near the temple,” said K Hat SHO Jaiprakash Singh.
He added that the precise cause of Manisha’s death would be established only after the post-mortem report is received. Police are currently examining all possible angles as the investigation continues.