Kolkata Police Bust Child Marriage Ring, Three Arrested

Police Action Against Child Marriage in Kolkata

Kolkata, Aug 31: Authorities in Kolkata have apprehended three individuals, including a minor girl's father, her husband, and her mother-in-law, following the discovery of a child marriage case, as reported by police officials on Monday.

A case has been filed under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, against the girl's husband and mother-in-law concerning the alleged marriage, kidnapping, and sexual assault of the minor.

The situation came to light when the girl's father continued to receive financial aid through the state government's Kanyaratna Education Grant Scheme, which is designed to promote the education of unmarried girls and discourage child marriages.

On Sunday, officers from the Haridevpur police station, located in the southern outskirts of Kolkata, arrested the three suspects.

According to police reports, the minor girl resides in the Nodakhali area of South 24 Parganas district. Approximately one-and-a-half months ago, she left her home with a young man from Haridevpur.

The young man allegedly married her and took her to his residence in Haridevpur. Police indicated that his mother was aware of the girl's age but still accepted her as part of the family.

The girl's family reportedly concealed the marriage to continue receiving financial support from the Kanyaratna scheme, with funds deposited into the minor's bank account.

Later, the girl's father contacted her in-laws, expressing no objections to her staying with them as long as the family continued to receive the government assistance. He also communicated this to the girl via phone.

However, the minor was required to return home for verification to maintain the benefits. Despite alleged threats from her father, she refused to go back, insisting on staying with her in-laws.

Eventually, the father reached out to an NGO, revealing that his daughter had been married. NGO representatives informed the Haridevpur police, who then intervened and rescued the girl from her in-laws' home.

Following the rescue, the girl's husband and mother-in-law were arrested, and a case was registered under the POCSO Act regarding the alleged crimes.

The girl's father was also taken into custody after it was discovered that he had not reported her missing or kidnapped when she left home. He allegedly knew about the marriage but failed to notify the authorities for nearly one-and-a-half months.

Police stated that the father only approached them after the financial aid issue arose. He has been named as an accused in the case and arrested on similar charges, according to officials.

The minor has been rescued, and the police have arranged for her safety.