Man kidnaps, weds minor girl in Chennai, arrested

CHENNAI: A 20-year-old man was arrested for kidnapping and marrying a minor girl after barging into her house since the girl's parents refused to accept his marriage proposal on Saturday.
The man, identified as Praveen Kumar, barged into the girl's house on May 21 and demanded that her parents accept his marriage proposal. After they denied his proposal, Kumar forcefully kidnapped her.
Based on a complaint from the girl's parents, police searched for the missing girl and Kumar. Police were able to trace the two to Madurantakam where Kumar had detained the girl in a house, police said.
Inquiries revealed that Kumar had been running a private firm near Koyambedu. He married the girl at a temple in Madurantakam in the presence of a few of his friends and relatives and then stayed with the girl at his relative's house, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Police arrested Praveen Kumar and booked him under the Pocso Act, while the girl was sent to a government home.