21-year-old man arrested for marrying minor

The police have arrested a 21-year-old youth of Karnal in Haryana for marrying a 17-year-old girl from Panchkula. He was held on a complaint lodged by the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer, Karnal.

The Sector 14 police have registered a case under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and 10 of the Child Marriage Prohibition Act.

A police team from the Sector 16 police post arrested the accused and produced him before a local court. The Judge remanded him in one-day police custody.

Medical reports confirmed that the minor girl was pregnant. The investigation team will also visit Karnal as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The police have also initiated legal proceedings against the fathers of both the accused and the girl under the Child Marriage Prohibition Act.

Panchkula DCP Srishti Gupta said, “No tradition or custom can justify child marriage. It is a serious crime that harms the physical, mental and emotional development of children. The law must prevail.”