synopsis

A Pakistani woman entered India illegally to marry her Indian partner after meeting him through an online game. Their hidden life ended with arrest and deportation. The case has resurfaced amid India's visa crackdown.

 

In a tale that began with an innocent online game and ended in legal turmoil, a 19-year-old Pakistani woman, Iqra Jeewani, was deported after illegally entering India to marry her Indian partner, Mulayam Singh Yadav. Their story underscores how digital connections can defy borders, but also bring serious consequences.

Iqra and Mulayam met in 2019 while playing the popular mobile game Ludo. Their online friendship soon blossomed into romance, and despite the tensions between their countries, they decided to build a life together. In September 2022, Iqra traveled from Hyderabad, Pakistan, to Kathmandu, Nepal. There, the couple married according to Hindu customs before illegally crossing the porous India-Nepal border into India.

Settling down in Bengaluru, Karnataka, the couple rented a home near Sarjapur Road. Iqra assumed the false identity of "Rava Yadav" to blend in. With Mulayam's help, she managed to obtain an Aadhaar card and applied for an Indian passport under her fake name. Mulayam found work as a security guard, and the couple became friendly with neighbors — none of whom suspected the true story behind the woman they knew as Riya.

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Their secret life, however, unraveled in January 2023 during heightened security ahead of the G20 Summit in India. Intelligence agencies, monitoring cross-border communications, picked up suspicious WhatsApp calls made by Iqra to her family back in Pakistan. An investigation was launched, leading to a police raid at their rented house.

Iqra’s real identity was exposed during questioning. She was promptly arrested and handed over to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office. After legal formalities, she was deported to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border. Mulayam Singh Yadav faced charges related to forgery, criminal conspiracy, and aiding an illegal immigrant.

At the time, the case captured national attention, highlighting how emotional relationships created online can spiral into violations of immigration laws and raise concerns about national security.

Now, this story has resurfaced once again after India's recent decision to revoke all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack of April 22. The crackdown has reignited public debates about security risks and cross-border infiltrations — making cases like that of Iqra and Mulayam newly relevant. Their romance, born of a simple online game, has become a reminder of the real-world consequences of ignoring borders in a volatile region.