Sale of 15-year-old as bride for ₹20,000: Police arrest girl’s uncle, aunt, husband

The minor girl’s uncle took her to his own house promising to take care of her, but he got her married off to a man in Nashik

Thane: The Padgha police have arrested the paternal uncle and aunt and the husband of a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly forcefully married off in January this year in lieu of ₹20,000. The minor girl’s uncle took her to his own house promising to take care of her, but he got her married off to a man in Nashik in exchange for money, said police officials.

Accident or crime scene cordon tape, police line do not cross. It is nighttime, emergency lights of police cars flashing blue, red and white in the background (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to the police, the girl lost her parents in an accident a few years ago. She moved in with her maternal uncle in Palghar after this, while her younger sister moved in with their paternal grandmother. She was enrolled in third standard in the local school on account of her late admission.

During her vacation in December 2023, her paternal uncle and aunt, Kisan Jadhav and Karuna Jadhav, visited her maternal uncle’s house and convinced him that it was their responsibility to take care of the girl. They also assured him that they would enrol her in the school in their village, so she could continue her studies.

“In January-end, the couple took her to Nashik on the pretext of attending a wedding. When people there started draping a sari on her and decking her in ornaments, she realised it was her getting married. She confronted her uncle, who told her that he had sold her to Ganesh Deshmukh, 30, for ₹20,000,” said a police officer. “The girl refused to get married, but none of them paid attention to her and married her off to the man forcibly.”

After a month of the marriage, in February, the girl fell sick and visited the district hospital for treatment. Finding an opportunity for escape, she fled to her grandmother’s house and stayed there for a month before going to her maternal uncle’s house at Palghar. She narrated the entire incident to her maternal uncle and aunt who immediately took her to Padgha police station to file a complaint.

Based on her complaint, the police registered an FIR against the girl’s paternal uncle and aunt and her husband under sections 430 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

“We have nabbed the accused and further investigation is going on,” said police constable S Adhe.