He told the women he will pay the rest owed to them
A case of a minor being sold for marriage has been reported in Bhopal, Maharashtra, in India, where a 14-year-old daughter was married to a 25-year-old man.
Police say the elder mother (her tai and not real mother) and aunt had sold the teenager for Rs 55,000 (£545).
They took Rs 30,000 (£298) cash and then forced the young girl to marry a man named Ram Babu. This was a typical case where an Indian daughter had no choice in the matter.
The marriage took place on December 18, 2021, and the ceremony was kept small and was quickly conducted.
Subsequently, the Ram Babu took his bride to his home Somwariya in Khilchipur, Rajgarh. After about five days, the young girl managed to escape and ran away.
The girl then went to the Khilchipur police station. She revealed to the victim support unit what had taken place and how she was forced to marry after being sold by her relatives.
She also told the police that Ram Babu had forced himself upon her and allegedly raped her several times.
Ram Babu had expressed his wish about getting married to his relative. The relative contacted a woman living in Shankar Nagar, in Bhopal, about the prospect of the marriage.
The elder mother had the 14-year-old daughter of her brother-in-law from Maharashtra living with her.
She then arranged a meeting with the aunt of the girl and both of them made a deal with Ram Babu to fix the marriage.
As soon as the vermillion (sandoor) was applied to the young girl’s head and she was classed as his wife, Ram Babu gave Rs 30,000 cash out of the Rs 50,000 agreed to the elder mother and aunt.
He told the women he will pay the rest owed to them after a few days.
However, the matter also got reported to a child line organisation by a third party who witnessed the wedding. Police then arrested Ram Babu and brought him to the police station.
The young girl was interviewed by victim support unit who then found out about the money exchanged and the alleged rape of the minor.
Khilchipur police have registered a case against the minor’s elder mother, aunt and a youth who was also involved, under kidnapping, POCSO Act and 376.
The elder mother and youth have been arrested. A search continues for an aunt.
The father of the minor victim, who hails from Maharashtra, works as a labourer in a village there. The teenager’s mother had gone somewhere without informing some time ago.
After her mother left, then the young girl found it difficult to cope. So, she left Maharashtra and came to stay at her elder mother’s place in Bhopal and was living there since then.
The elder mother (tai) claims that the teenage girl was about to run away with some other boy and to save their honour, they arranged the marriage with Ram Babu and took the money.
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