A 13-year-old tribal girl from Maharashtra`s Palghar district was allegedly forcibly married off and raped, police said on Friday, reported news agency PTI.
Based on a complaint lodged by the minor, the police have registered a case against five persons, including the groom and his family from Ahilyanagar, an official said.
According to the police, the girl`s grandfather allegedly got her married to a man from Ahilyanagar in September, and she was repeatedly sexually assaulted. The groom`s parents also mentally harassed her, reported PTI.
“We have registered a case against five individuals, including a family member, for the forced marriage, trafficking, and repeated sexual assault of a minor girl. The case involves multiple jurisdictions, and we are coordinating the investigation to ensure immediate action is taken against all the accused involved in this serious crime,” the official said.
The offence has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he said, reported PTI.
Man from Thane district kidnapped, extorted Rs 2.98 lakh; probe on
In another case, a businessman from Maharashtra`s Thane district was allegedly kidnapped and forced to pay Rs 2.98 lakh by four persons, in what police suspect to be a case of business rivalry, an official said on Friday, reported PTI.
The complainant, a resident of the Ulhasnagar area, told the police that one of the accused persons called him for a meeting on October 13 but took him to a secluded room near a quarry in Mharal village by pressing an object resembling a pistol against his back.
Once inside the room, all four accused forced him to disclose his GPay pin and transferred money from his account. They also made the complainant initiate transactions from his wife`s account, extorting a total of Rs 2,98,500, the police said, reported PTI.
Based on the businessman`s complaint, a case has been registered against the accused persons under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for kidnapping and extortion, said an official from Ulhasnagar police station.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the motive behind the crime appears to be linked to business rivalry and monetary disputes. One of the accused, identified as Naresh Jaganmal Chabria alias Naresh Pakistani, has a history of involvement in local disputes,” he said, reported PTI.
Efforts are on to nab the accused and recover the extorted amount, the official added.
(With inputs from PTI)
