25-yr-old man booked in zero FIR by Delhi Police for ‘marrying’ 14-yr-old, raping her

The girl reported the matter at the Jamia Nagar police station on Tuesday, after managing to flee from a rented accommodation in Batla House. A zero FIR was registered and has been forwarded to Prayagraj police for further investigation, police said

A 14-year-old was forcefully married to a 25-year-old man in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, in January and was repeatedly raped and beaten up by the man over the past three to four months across three cities, including Delhi, where they stayed, police said.

She was a student of Class 9 and wanted to continue her studies, but her parents forcefully married her off to the man against her will. (Representative photo)

The girl reported the matter at the Jamia Nagar police station on Tuesday, after managing to flee from a rented accommodation in Batla House. A zero FIR was registered and has been forwarded to Prayagraj police for further investigation, police said. After recording the girl’s statement, she was sent to a women’s shelter.

Deputy commissioner of police (south east) Rajesh Deo said: “We have registered a zero FIR under provisions of Child Marriage Act and Indian Penal Code in the matter. It has been sent to Prayagraj police, according to procedure.”

A senior police officer said that the minor came to the police station in a disturbed state. After calming down, she said she was a student of Class 9 and wanted to continue her studies, but her parents forcefully married her off to the man against her will, the officer said.

According to the complaint, the girl said that the man took her to his house in Jhansi and forced himself on her. “She said that she remained in Jhansi for two months and he brought her to Delhi in March. The two were staying at a rented accommodation in Batla House. The accused allegedly started beating the minor regularly and forcing himself on her, which prompted her to report the matter to police,” the officer said.

“After reaching Delhi, she sought help from an acquaintance and got to know about the office of a local commission for women in the area. She approached them and they brought her to the police station,” the officer said.

The accused was booked under sections 376 (rape), 366 (taking any lady hostage or kidnapping) and 323 (causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code, Section 6/21 of the POCSO Act and Section 9/10 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

In March, the Delhi women’s commission intervened and stopped a ceremony wherein a 15-year-old girl was being married in Sultanpuri. Agencies said they have been faring well in curbing child marriages, as only one case was registered in 2022, against the national total of 1,002, according to the national crime records bureau.