Man Accused Of Impregnating A Minor: How Long Can We Ignore This?

A 29-year-old man in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, has been booked by police officials for repeatedly sexually assaulting and raping a 12-year-old girl and making her pregnant, while he also reportedly married the young girl, which is illegal in India. 

The incident happened six months ago and came to light only when a doctor in Panvel, Thane, was surveying the survivor and found out the minor was pregnant. Both the minor and the man belong to Satara, in Maharashtra.

Navi Mumbai: Man, 29, Booked For Marrying 12-Year-Old Impregnating Her:

Police reported a shocking case of child abuse from Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, on Friday when a 12-year-old minor was discovered to be pregnant by a local doctor in Panvel. 

As reported by the news agency PTI, the incident took place six months ago when the accused repeatedly raped the minor, impregnating her and marrying her, despite child marriage being illegal in India. 

The incident only came forward when a doctor based in Panvel, Thane, discovered on Thursday during a survey that the minor girl was four months pregnant and immediately alerted the police officials about the same.

This prompted an immediate probe by Mumbai police into the incident, which found out the child marriage took place six months ago and the accused men repeatedly raped the minor, resulting in her pregnancy. Police officials also said both the accused man and the minor are from the Satara district of Maharashtra. 

A case has been registered in the Khandeshwar police station of Panvel, Navi Mumbai, and the Station House Officer (SHO) informed that a case has been registered against the accused man, charging him under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), and Prohibiting the Child Marriage Act of India.

Despite the legal prohibition, it is shocking to see that child marriage remains a persistent issue to combat in India, even after the rising literacy rate. With growing rates of child abuse in the country, with everyday cases of minor girls being abused and sexually assaulted, it is important to take measures to protect the children of our country and take necessary steps to curb the cases.