Raiganj, March 10: The chief judicial magistrate’s court here today remanded a youth, Patray Soren, in 10 days of judicial custody and sent the girl, who had eloped with him, to her mother’s custody.

Reetha’s (name changed) mother filed a complaint with police after the girl, studying in Class VIII of Madhyamik Siksha Kendra, had not returned home from the institution on February 29. She alleged that Soren had abducted her “minor” daughter. A police team then left for Delhi where the youth worked in a soap factory. By that time, Soren and Reetha, who were already in Delhi, decided to return to Raiganj where they wanted to get married. While returning to the hometown, the police, acting on a tip-off, caught the duo at Malda railway station on Saturday night.

Soren said they had been in love for more than two years and they used to keep in touch over phone.

After the court order, Reetha initially refused to go with her mother saying that she was not a minor. She even said her mother might force her to sever the relationship with the youth.

The girl told the court that she had left with Soren of her own accord. “We had left for Delhi to get married there. The charge of abduction against Soren is totally false and I am no longer a minor.” She threatened to commit suicide if her mother tried to spoil the relationship.District superintendent of police Swapan Banerjee Purnapatra said they had started the case on the basis of the complaint.