Telangana: 13-Year-Old Girl Forced Into Marriage With 40-Year-Old Married Man In Ranga Reddy, Rescued

A shocking case of child marriage has been reported from Telangana's Ranga Reddy district, where a 13-year-old girl was forced to marry a 40-year-old married man.

According to reports, the incident came to light after the victim told her teacher about the marriage, who then reported it to tahsildar Rajeshwar and the police.

The girl, a Class 8 student, got married to 40-year-old Srinivas Goud from Kandiwada on May 28.

According to police, the girl lives with her mother and brother. The family got in touch with the 40-year-old man through a mediator and the marriage took place in May.

According to an NDTV report, the man, his wife, the girl's mother, the mediator and a priest who conducted the illegal wedding have been charged under the Prevention of Child Marriage Act.

The girl was taken to a Sakhi Centre for safety and support and is receiving counselling.

The girl and the man lived together for two months, as per reports. Authorities are conducting tests to find out if the man established a sexual relationship with the girl. If the girl was forced into a sexual relationship, the man will be charged with a POCSO case.

Despite several measures put in place by the state government to curb cases of child marriage, 66 child marriage cases were reported last year and 44 such cases have been reported so far this year.