Munnar: Another instance of child marriage has come to light in Munnar. The marriage of a 17-year-old girl with a 26-year-old youth was conducted by her mother and relatives. The Devikulam police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Cases have also been registered against the girl’s mother and relatives under various Sections of the law.
The POCSO case was registered against Manimaran of Grahams Land Division, Chokkanad estate of the Kannan Devan Company. He is a temporary worker of the estate.
The girl is seven months pregnant. The marriage of the two took place in July 2022. It is said that the marriage was conducted after the mother and the relatives convinced the youth’s side that she had become a major. The police came to know of the incident a month ago after the girl became pregnant. After the police received the information, they produced the girl before the Child Welfare Committee Chairman and sent her with the mother. It was during the investigation conducted after this that it was revealed that the girl had not reached majority. Following this, cases were registered against the youth and the relatives of the girl. The investigating officer, S. Sivalal, Station House Officer of Devikulam, said that the youth was absconding.
It was two weeks ago that a 47-year-old man had married a 17-year-old girl in Edamalakkudy panchayat. Though the police registered a case under POCSO, the man could not be nabbed. The accused has gone into hiding in Tamil Nadu. The girl is under the care of the Child Welfare Committee.