TN minor girl gets married twice; six arrested

ERODE: The Bhavani all-woman police in Erode district of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday arrested six people in connection with the two marriages of a minor girl.
On Monday evening, V Ajith, 21, of Kaveripatti near Thevur in Salem district and Shalini (name changed),17, came to the police station seeking protection from their parents. They said they got married at a temple in Sankari in Salem district on Monday. "They informed police that they were getting threats from their parents," said inspector of Bhavani all-woman police A Ponammal.
During inquiries, the police came to know that Shalini was a minor. Further inquiries revealed that the girl had already been married to K Kamaraj, 34, of Pudupatty in Salem. The marriage happened at Jalakandeswarar temple in Kolathur on January 25, 2021.
"The girl had refused to marry Kamaraj citing she wanted to study further," the inspector said. Kamaraj and his parents Kuppusamy, 60, and Govindammal, 55, had assured that they would allow her to continue her studies," the inspector added.
The police inquired with the girl's parents who admitted that they had got their minor daughter married to Kamaraj.
Police also came to know that Ajith abducted Shalini from the Bhavani bus stand when she was on her way to Kovilpalayam village with Kamaraj on July 17.
The police arrested Kamaraj, his parents and the girl's parents for conducting the child marriage. They also arrested Ajith for raping the minor girl under sections of the POCSO Act. Kamaraj is also facing charges under the POCSO Act.