Thane, Oct 13 A 17-year-old girl was allegedly forced into an unlawful marriage in Maharashtra’s Thane district, leading to her pregnancy and the delivery of a baby girl at a government facility, police said on Tuesday.
The matter came to light after the minor victim was admitted to the hospital in Ulhasnagar town for delivery.
Following a formal complaint lodged by a doctor, a case was registered in Ambarnath town.
The minor victim was married off to a 25-year-old man, a resident in Ambarnath, the police said.
Investigators noted that the husband and his relatives coerced the minor girl into the wedlock, which is a direct violation of child marriage laws.
The victim was subjected to physical cohabitation by her husband, resulting in her pregnancy and the eventual birth of a baby girl at the hospital on October 10, they said.
Taking cognisance of the medical report and statutory violations, the police registered the case against the husband along with other individuals responsible for abetting and arranging the child marriage.
Police have not arrested anyone so far in this connection, they said.
The case has been registered under various the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including section 64 (1) (rape), and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
Further legal proceedings and inquiries into those who facilitated the marriage are currently underway.
(PTI News)
