Jaipur: Jhalawar police Wednesday arrested a 34-year-old man, the father of a girl, and her maternal uncle for allegedly arranging her marriage when she was still a minor in exchange for Rs 4 lakh.Police said the girl was 17 years, eight months and 20 days old when she was married to Vijay (name changed) on June 15, 2025.The case surfaced during an investigation into an alleged plot to kill Vijay.SP Amit Kumar said the probe began on Oct 14, when a man approached police with messages from Pooja (name changed). The messages allegedly asked him to arrange the murder of her husband. The man shared the messages and other digital evidence but was reluctant to file a formal complaint.Police still began investigating the alleged conspiracy.During the probe, police traced Pooja on Oct 16. Kumar said she was found in restrictive living conditions and severe mental distress. She was taken to the Sakhi One Stop Centre in Jhalawar. Her statement was later recorded before a court.Pooja told police that her father Ramesh (name changed) and maternal uncle Dinesh (name changed) had arranged her marriage to Vijay against her wishes.“The two relatives took Rs 4 lakh from Vijay and kept the marriage secret, avoiding wedding invitations to conceal her age,” Kumar said.Police said Pooja alleged that she faced physical and mental abuse after the marriage. She left the marital home after 20 days. She wanted to end the marriage and marry her boyfriend.After police traced her, she refused to return to her family. She stayed at a children’s home until she became an adult. When her boyfriend later married someone else, she returned to her family.Police said she continued asking relatives to let her leave Vijay. They allegedly told her they had already sold her. Police said she was eventually sent back to Vijay.Vijay allegedly threatened to implicate her family in criminal cases if she left.Before August this year, Pooja again tried to leave. Police said her family then made her sign a settlement agreement on stamp paper before a notary.“It required her father to pay Rs 4 lakh if she left or ran away without informing anyone and restricted her movement and phone use,” Kumar said.Police have added charges relating to trafficking and exploitation of a minor, coercion into marriage and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
