THANE: A 17-year-old girl was allegedly forced into a child marriage in Maharashtra’s Thane district, resulting in her pregnancy and the birth of a baby girl at a government hospital, police said on Tuesday.The matter came to light after the minor was admitted to a hospital in Ulhasnagar for delivery.Following a complaint lodged by a doctor, a case was registered in Ambarnath town against the girl’s 25-year-old husband, a resident of the area, and others allegedly involved in arranging the marriage, police said.Investigators said the girl was allegedly coerced into the marriage by her husband and his relatives, in violation of laws prohibiting child marriage. She subsequently became pregnant and delivered a baby girl at the hospital on October 10, they said.The police registered a case against the husband and others allegedly involved in facilitating the marriage, taking into account the medical report and the alleged violations of the law.No arrests have been made in the case so far, police said.The case has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 64(1) pertaining to rape, as well as relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.Further investigation is underway to establish the circumstances of the marriage and identify those who allegedly facilitated it.(With Agency Input)
