Man arrested after hospital staff finds his 17-year-old wife to be pregnant

A 22-year-old man in Mumbai was arrested after hospital staff reported his 17-year-old pregnant "wife." The girl was underage and not legally married.

MUMBAI: A 22-year-old man was arrested after hospital staff in Govandi informed the police that his 17-year-old minor ‘wife’ is nine months pregnant. The case was registered against the man as the wife was neither of the legal age of consent nor marriage, which as per the Indian laws stands at eighteen.

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The incident came to light on Monday when the Mankhurd police were informed by the officials at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi that an underage girl had come to the hospital for a prenatal examination. Upon enquiring with the girl, the police were told she had got married nine months ago.

“The man is a native of Tamil Nadu but has lived and worked in the city for the last few years. He met the girl while visiting his native place a year back. She said that the two of them fell in love, but her parents were not happy with the match. Therefore, they decided to elope and got married in a temple before coming to the city,” said an official from the Mankhurd police station. Once in the city, the two started living like a married couple, he added.

Since the girl didn’t speak Hindi or Marathi very well, the police had to take the help of some social workers and doctors who understand Tamil. Based on what the police gathered from their interactions with the girl and her husband, the police themselves registered the case.

The man has been booked under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. “We still don’t know if the man’s family were in the know of and participated in the wedding. They have not been able to tell us whether they even informed the girl’s family after the wedding. He was taken into custody later in the week and is currently in police custody. The girl will be counselled by the child welfare committee before taking any further action regarding her condition,” said the officer.