Telangana: Case against 21-year-old man who allegedly abducted, forcibly married minor; parents also booked

21 year old man was booked by police who allegedly abducted and forcibly married a minor girl, apart from inducting her for sexual intercourse, the police .

The police also booked the parents of both girl and boy, and a local political leader who allegedly brokered a compromise between the two.

According to inspector M Praveen Reddy, The police recieved a compliant from a Hymavathi, superior of Integrated Child Development Society of Medchal block on Wednesday about a child marrage that happened at Kandlakoya on 1st June.

In her complaint, She revealed that Shivvarathri Srinu (21) had married the girl who was just 16 in the presence of the parents and that of the girl’s beside a local leader Prabhakar and others.

“On inquiry, it was revealed that both the bride and the groom were known to each other for the last three years. On February 26, Srinu eloped with the girl and married her at a temple. Since then, she had staying with him at his village Gundlapochampally, where he forced her to participate in sex thrice,” the police inspector said.

After coming to know about their marrage, the girl’s parents had come to Gundlapochampally and had taken her back to their home stating that they would perform a formal marrage in the presence of other family members.

Earlier, parents of both had accepted their relation and performed their marrage at Mutyalamma temple in the presence of elders. They also formally arranged nuptials for the pair to consummate, said police.

The Medchal police lodged a case under Section 376 (sexual assault), 376A (sex with wife without consent) and 366 (abduction of a woman and forced sex) of Indian Penal Code, besides under Protection of Child from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Sec 9, 11 of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, and SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

“We are yet to make the arrests as we need to appoint an investigating office because the girl happens to be a Dalit. We have sent he to Sakhi Centre maintained by Women and Child Welfare Department,” the inspector said.

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