Minor's parents held after he marries 19-year-old girl

In an unusual case of child marriage, a 16-year-old boy recently married a 19-year-old woman.

Puttenahalli police have traced the boy and sent him to the juvenile home. His parents have been arrested.

Based on a tip-off by an NGO, police learnt about the marriage held two weeks ago. The boy works for an LPG distribution agency while the girl works as a maid.

Both the boy and the girl hail from Nepal. They have been living on the premises of an apartment in Arakere Mico Layout for the past few years. Police interrogated the boy’s mother Lakshmi who confirmed that the marriage was solemnised on February 19. She and her husband were arrested under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

After preliminary investigations, police said the girl, who has lost her parents, was staying with her guardians, who are related to the boy’s parents.

The boy and the girl fell in love and decided to get married. The boy’s parents and the girl’s guardians accepted their proposal and instead of waiting till the boy attained marriageable age, got the two married.

The NGO, which learnt about the marriage, filed a complaint before the Department of Women and Child Development. An officer filed a complaint with the police.