14-year-old girl forcibly married off, rescued in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri

14-year-old girl rescued from forced marriage, perpetrators arrested, and victim to be placed in safe custody.

A 14-year-old girl who was forcibly married off by her mother to a relative was rescued following a complaint from the girl’s grandmother in Anchetty on Wednesday (March 5, 2025).

The victim, who had dropped out of school after Class 7, was forcibly married off to a 29-year-old man. The wedding took place in Bengaluru on March 3, after which the girl was brought back to her village in Anchetty. According to sources, she had escaped to her grandmother’s house, unwilling to go to her marital home.

On Wednesday (March 5, 2025), a video of the girl being forcibly carried away by her husband to his house surfaced on social media. Speaking to The Hindu, Superintendent of Police P. Thangadurai said a complaint was received from the girl’s grandmother, who called the police for help. The 29-year-old mother of the victim, the husband and his uncle were arrested and remanded in custody on Wednesday evening. “We are invoking provisions of the POCSO Act for penetrative sexual assault, and also the Child Marriage Act. The girl is being questioned in the police station along with her grandmother. Later, she will be sent to a One-Stop Centre for safe custody,” Mr. Thangadurai said.

As of late Wednesday evening (March 5, 2025), the girl was in the police station in Denkanikottai, according to the SP.

When asked about the propriety of a child victim of sexual abuse being kept in a police station till late in the day, Mr. Thangadurai said the girl will be shifted to a One Stop Centre. Since she had been abducted from her grandmother’s house, returning her to the same place may put her safety at risk, and hence, the decision was taken to relocate her, he said.

Sources in ChildLine said they were unaware of the incident. The Child Welfare Committee’s tenure has expired, and for the past few months, the Tiruvannamalai committee’s chairperson has been in charge of Krishnagiri. However, emergency cases are being handled by the staff of the CWC through video call, a source said.

Collector C. Dinesh Kumar said strict action would be taken against the accused under the relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.