A shocking case of child marriage from Karnataka has led to five arrests after a viral video showed a 14-year-old girl being forcibly carried away by her so-called husband.
The girl, a resident of Thimmathur in Tamil Nadu’s Thottamanju area, was married off on March 3rd to Madesh, a 29-year-old labourer from Kalikuttai, Karnataka. But when she returned home after the wedding, she refused to go to her in-laws’ place. Instead of respecting her choice, Madesh, along with his brother Mallesh, 38, and his wife, dragged the crying girl back.
The horrifying scene was captured by bystanders and widely shared online, triggering public outrage. The girl’s grandmother later filed a police complaint, leading to the arrest of five people—Madesh, Mallesh, Mallesh’s wife, and the girl’s parents. All have been booked under the POCSO Act that carries stiff punishment and the Child Marriage Act, facing up to two years in prison and a ₹1 lakh fine.
The girl is now safe with her grandparents. But this case is a grim reminder of the widespread reality of child marriage in India.
