In a shocking case of alleged child abuse and forced marriage, a 32-year-old functionary of the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has been arrested by the Jeeyapuram All-Women Police Station for forcibly marrying a minor girl against her parents’ wishes, as reported in Puthiya Thalaimurai.
The accused, identified as Karthik, hails from the Kambarasampettai area of Trichy. Despite being a married man with two children, Karthik who serves as the Joint Secretary of the TVK’s Andhanallur Union is alleged to have persistently harassed the parents of a 17-year-old girl, who is a relative of his wife, pressuring them to consent to a marriage between him and their daughter.
According to the complaint filed by the girl’s mother, Karthik defied the parents’ strong objections and forcibly married the minor in a secret ceremony a few months ago. The parents, who had consistently opposed the alliance due to Karthik’s marital status and the girl’s age, were left shocked and helpless by the clandestine act.
The girl’s mother subsequently lodged a formal complaint at the Jeeyapuram All-Women Police Station, triggering an immediate investigation.
The Jeeyapuram police registered a case against Karthik under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, which criminalizes any sexual offence against minors, including child marriage. The accused was arrested and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
Under the POCSO Act, sexual intercourse with a minor constitutes statutory rape, regardless of consent, and is punishable with rigorous imprisonment. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, also declares the marriage of a minor as voidable and criminalizes those who perform, promote, or participate in such unions.
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