13-year-old tribal girl from Palghar forced into marriage, raped; five booked

A 13-year-old tribal girl from Maharashtra's Palghar district was allegedly forcibly married off by her grandfather and was sexually assaulted and mentally harassed by husband and her in-laws

Palghar: A 13-year-old tribal girl from Maharashtra’s Palghar district was allegedly forcibly married off and raped, police said on Friday.

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.

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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.

“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.