Child marriage in Hyderabad: 23-year-old groom, parents booked
Child marriage in Hyderabad
The girl from a scheduled caste family was officially married to the man on June 1, three months after he had abducted and married her secretly.
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According to police, the groom, Shivaratri Srinu, had befriended the girl from the neighbourhood and took her to a temple where he secretly married her on February 26. The girl was staying with him at his house in Gundlapochampally village.
Her parents brought her back home, promising to perform their marriage officially. A local political leader, Prabhakar, brokered the deal and the two families fixed June 1 muhurat for the formal wedding. The two families had arranged the nuptials also on the same day of wedding.
Hyderabad-based Balala Hakkula Sangham (Child Rights Association) came to know of the child marriage later and alerted the Balanagar assistant police commissioner and other officials on June 3.
Integrated Child Development Society (ICDS) of Medchal block supervisor Hymavathi lodged a formal complaint with the police.
Medchal police inspector M Praveen Reddy said a case under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (sexual assault), 376 a (sex with wife without consent) and 366 (abduction of a woman and forced sex), 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.
The accused are yet to be arrested. The girl was sent to a home run by the women development and child welfare department.
