Woman held as minor girl kidnapped, married off to relative

A 16-year-old girl from Tiruvallur district was allegedly kidnapped and married off to her 37-year-old relative.

The girl’s family members claimed the involvement of their relative’s siblings in the case and alleged that they had been threatening the family to withdraw the complaint. Police have so far arrested a woman in connection with the case and a team has gone to Kundrathur to rescue the girl and nab the abductors.

Police said Plus One student Asha (name changed), third of the four children of 80-year-old Koshal of Narasamangalam, Tiruvallur, did not return home from school on July 19.

 Asha’s mother Sandhiammal, an embroidery maker and the sole breadwinner, lodged a complaint with the police. According to Asha’s brother-in-law Sakthivel, the girl’s cousin sister, studying in the same school, had claimed that Asha’a relative Ganapathy had taken the girl away after convincing her that her mother was possessed by an evil spirit.

The next day the girl’s family had received a phone call claiming that Ganapathy’s 37-year-old elder brother Vadivelu, working in the cine field, had married the girl.

Sakthivel told Express that Ganapathy had spoken to Asha’s headmaster over phone in a woman’s voice seeking permission to take the girl away.

He further alleged that Asha’s relatives Vadivelu, his brother Ganapathy, another relative Kesavan and sister Selvi were involved in the kidnap.

“Vadivelu wanted to marry Asha’s sister, who is now my wife, five years back but her family refused. He later got married to another woman, who also left him. Now, he has kidnapped and married the school going girl and challenges us that we cannot do anything to him,” Sakthivel claimed.

Meanwhile, based on the complaint, police arrested Vadivelu’s sister-in-law and Kesavan’s wife Uma.

Asha’s family members claimed that the siblings had been calling them up threatening them to withdraw the police complaint and seek the release of Uma.

“We have already arrested a woman. We have traced the mobile phone signals and a police team has gone to Kundrathur. The accused kidnapped a minor girl and got her married, so the offence is made out,” said Balachandran, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur sub division.