Kerala police books parents of teen girl for child marriage in Malappuram

PTI, Jan 25, 2022, 4:30 PM IST

Kerala police on Tuesday registered a case against a group of people on charges of marrying off a 16-year-old girl a year ago here.

The husband and parents of the girl were among those booked, police said. The husband, a native of nearby Vandoor, is an adult and the teenage girl is now six months pregnant, they added.

Following this, the girl has been handed over to the protective custody of the District Child Welfare Committee, they said adding that an investigation is underway into the incident.

It was only recently that the Child Welfare Committee came to know about the incident due to the intervention of the Childline workers.

Police said a case under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the husband and others has been registered.

Both the girl and her husband belong to a minority community, sources said.