In Gujarat, a 10-year-old girl eloped with a 16-year-old minor. Both connected through Instagram, chatted, fell in love, and finally decided to elope. The girl’s family filed a missing report; both are in police custody. Within hours of the girl’s family filing a complaint, the police caught both of them from a nearby village
According to sources, this case is from Dhansura village in Gujarat. A 10-year-old girl studying in class 5 eloped with a 16-year-old boy on December 31. Her family searched for her for a long time, but when no trace of her was found, they filed a kidnapping complaint in the police station.
A police investigation revealed that the two minors had come in contact through social media and fell in love with each other. They planned to elope and left home on December 31 with the help of their three friends. The girl’s family was not aware of social media; the girl used to use Instagram on her mother’s phone, and the two used to talk for hours on calls.
Within hours of the girl’s family filing a complaint, the police caught both of them from a nearby village and sent them to a juvenile home. Social media has its benefits, but its misuse can endanger the safety of children. It is very important to properly assess the safety and mental state of children before connecting them to social media.
Social media is a world that is attractive to children, but the dangers hidden in it cannot be ignored. The danger of interacting and meeting unknown people on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is increasing day by day.
Parents must prevent children from using mobile phones and joining social media platforms before the right age. It has become necessary for parents whose children are connected to social media to monitor their children’s social media accounts. Also, parents must limit the time children spend on social media so that they cannot misuse it.
