In a shocking incident, the Ludhiana Police on Wednesday, September 16 booked a man for allegedly marrying off his minor daughter to a 30-year-old man. The officials also booked the minor’s husband and his nine family members for raping the girl.
The incident came to light when the minor’s mother registered an FIR (First Information Report) and told the police that her husband forcibly married off their 13-year-old daughter to an older man on July 12.
She further stated that she got to know about the marriage when she met her daughter on Tuesday. The minor revealed that she was raped every day by her husband, his brother, and two other relatives.
The girl’s mother has been employed as domestic help and has been living separately. The minor lived with her father.
An FIR against the girl’s father, the husband, and 10 others were registered under sections 9 and 10 of the Child Marriage (Prohibition) Act and section 376 (rape) of IPC at Daba police station.
‘The girl is now in her mother’s custody and we are conducting raids to arrest the groom and his family members,’ the investigating officer said, reported The Indian Express.
An Outlook India report highlighted that there has been a staggering 21 per cent rise in crime against women amid lockdown in Punjab. It stated that there has been an increase from 4,709 to 5,695 in total cases of crime against women between February and April 2020, and a similar increase has been seen in domestic violence cases against women from 3,287 to 3,993 during this period.
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