A 26-year-old painter has been arrested on the charge of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 17-year old girl, Erode police said on Monday.
According to the police, Ranganathan of Salem district fell in love with the girl, studying in Class 12, and kidnapped her on September 5. He went to Salem with the girl, where he married her in a temple. Both stayed in a house since then and he allegedly sexually assaulted her, the police said.
Meanwhile, the girl's parents lodged a complaint about her going missing, they said. On Sunday, the police said they found the girl with Ranganathan at a bus-stop and secured the two.
The girl told the police that Ranganathan kidnapped her and married her, then sexually assaulted her, the police said, adding that the painter was arrested and remanded in judicial custody for 15 days. The police said they then handed over the girl to her parents.
