Woman marries minor boy, she met through Facebook; booked under Child Marriage Act

A 20-year-old woman from Bengaluru in Karnataka allegedly married a 17-year-old boy she met through Facebook. After the matter came to fore, the police registered a case against the woman under the Child Marriage Act.

According to the police, the accused woman is a BSC nursing student. She met the 17-year-old boy, who hails from a village in Chikkamagaluru district, through Facebook. She decided to marry him against the wishes of her family.
The teenage boy claimed that he was 21 years old and tied the knot with the woman at a temple on June 16, police said. The marriage was solemnized in the presence of the teenager’s relatives, they added.

As the news of the wedding spread, a local resident alerted the child helpline, following which officials from the women and child welfare department came to the village for conducting inquiries. Later, the police were informed and a case was registered against the woman and the teenager’s relatives, who were present at the temple when the two exchanged marriage woes.
“They [boy’s relatives] have been booked as well under the Child Marriage Restraint Act and the couple is living separately, Chikkamagaluru SP Hakay Akshay Machhindra said,”

This comes days after a 23-year-old woman was arrested by the Gujarat Police for allegedly abducting and sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy.

Police said the minor boy had gone missing from Anand on May 25. His family members sprang up in a search for him, and after failing to find him, they registered a police complaint. On the basis of the complaint, the police lodged a case of abduction against unidentified person/s and initiated an investigation.

A fortnight later, the minor boy was rescued from Surat. The police said the woman abducted the minor and took him to Surat under the pretext of marrying him. Inquiries revealed that after abducting the boy, she had sexually asaulted him.