Odisha man booked for marrying, impregnating minor girl in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Police are on the lookout for a migrant worker who married and impregnated a 15-year-old girl near Kariyampalayam on the outskirts of Coimbatore. The girl gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday.
The accused has been identified as Bibek Das, 20, from Odisha. He was working at a spinning mill in Kariyampalayam.
Police said the girl and the accused had been working at the private spinning mill for the past four years. They were in a relationship. With the consent of the girl’s parents, Das married her in February last year. She became pregnant.
The girl visited Mettupalayam Government Hospital on Sunday. She was referred to Coimbatore Medical Hospital College (CMCH) for checkup. Based on information given by the hospital authorities, the Thudiyalur all-woman police registered a case under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act and the Child Marriage Act on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the girl gave birth to a baby boy in Kavundampalayam Public Health Centre. The girl’s condition was stable. As her baby was found preterm and underweight, he was shifted to Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in CMCH.