Kolkata, August 31: Kolkata police have arrested three individuals in connection with a child marriage case involving a minor girl. The arrested include the girl’s father, her husband, and her mother-in-law.
The case came to light when the girl’s father continued to receive financial assistance under West Bengal‘s ‘Kanyaratna Education Grant Scheme.’ This initiative aims to promote the education of unmarried girls and discourage child marriages.
Authorities have filed charges against the husband and mother-in-law under stringent sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, related to the minor’s marriage, abduction, and sexual assault.
Officers from the Haridevpur police station in Kolkata’s southern outskirts apprehended the trio on Sunday.
According to police, the minor girl hails from the Nodakhali area in South 24 Parganas district. She had left home with a young man from Haridevpur about a month and a half ago.
The young man married her and took her to his home in Haridevpur. Police reported that the man’s mother was aware that the girl was under 18 but accepted her as a daughter-in-law nonetheless.
The girl’s family concealed the marriage to continue receiving financial aid under the Kanyaratna scheme, which was deposited into the minor’s bank account.
Later, the girl’s father contacted her in-laws, stating he had no objection to her staying with them, as long as the family continued to receive government assistance. He communicated the same to the girl over the phone.
However, for verification purposes to maintain the benefits of the scheme, it was necessary for the minor to return to her parental home. Reports indicate that despite her father’s threats, she refused to return, insisting she wanted to remain with her in-laws.
Subsequently, the father reached out to an NGO, informing them of his daughter’s marriage. NGO officials alerted the Haridevpur police, who then dispatched a team to safely retrieve the girl from her in-laws’ home.
Police arrested the girl’s husband and mother-in-law, filing charges under the POCSO Act.
The girl’s father was also taken into custody after authorities discovered he had not reported her missing or abducted when she left home. Despite knowing about the marriage, he failed to inform the police for nearly a month and a half.
Authorities stated that the father contacted them only when the issue of government financial assistance arose. He has been implicated in the case and arrested on the same charges.
Police confirmed that the minor girl has been rescued and arrangements have been made to keep her in a safe location.
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