Ashis SenapatiKendrapada: A 28-year-old man was arrested in Jajpur district on Saturday for allegedly marrying a minor and impregnating her, after the girl delivered a baby at a community health centre on June 25.According to police, the accused married the 15-year-old girl in 2025 and stayed at her house. After hospital authorities informed the district child protection officer, Niranjan Kar, about the minor delivering a child, Kar lodged a complaint on June 26. Police registered a case under various sections of the BNS, Pocso Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.“After verifying birth certificates and other documents, we confirmed that the girl is a minor. Investigation is underway. Legal action will be taken against parents of both the accused and the girl,” said investigating officer Chinmayee Sahoo. Police said the marriage was conducted with the consent of both families but is illegal as the girl is underage. The accused was produced in a local court, which rejected his bail plea and remanded him to judicial custody.Under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, marriage of a boy below 21 years and a girl below 18 is punishable with up to two years’ rigorous imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1 lakh or both. “The minor and her newborn are undergoing treatment at the hospital and will be produced before the child welfare committee after they are discharged,” said CWC chairman Dibya Jyoti Mohanty.
