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Case against 7 people in case of forcing a minor to marry
= Suresh Biligeri
Madikeri. Aug. 31: An FIR under dozens of sections has been registered at Srimangala police station against a total of seven people, including a forensic doctor of Madikeri Medical College, a plantation owner who sexually harassed a minor girl belonging to the Yarava community, a forcible marriage with another person and falsely providing the girl's age certificate. The local police, who have registered a case in the Virajpet court on the complaint of the District Child Protection Unit officer, are searching for more evidence.
Details: In February 2025, a letter was received by the Ponnampet Women and Child Welfare Department in the name of the victim. In that complaint letter, it is mentioned that the owner of the plantation forced her to marry a child named Raghu despite her unwillingness. However, as a result of the department's hesitation to take action, a petition letter is written in the name of the victim to the Chairperson of the Karnataka Women's Commission, Dr. Nagalakshmi Chowdhury on 27-03-2025. After reading the complaint received through the letter, Dr. Nagalakshmi Chowdhury immediately sends a letter to the Child Rights Commission. An order letter is received from the State Child Rights Commission to the Madikeri District Child Protection Unit on 18-06-2025 to take immediate action. These departmental officials, who have no information about the case, go behind it, gather information, meet the victim and find out the truth of the case. During the consultation, the statement given by the victim is recorded by the Department's Legal and Inspection Officer, Tulsi. Ta. 28-08-2025 requests that all her statements be recorded and a complaint be filed regarding this case immediately from his office to the Kodagu Superintendent of Police, DySP and Srimangala Police Station. The police have registered an FIR.
What is this sexual harassment case: What did the victim say?
The victim was studying SSLC in the year 2023-24 and was 17 years old. She lived with her father Kaddi, mother Kaveri, father-in-law Raghu alias Annu and sisters in the garden of Srujan in Ballyamandur village. She said that she was in love with her father-in-law Annu.
The victim, a young woman, gave a statement during the consultation of the female officers that the owner Srujan was constantly sexually harassing her and her sisters, and accordingly a case has been registered. During the consultation, she said that she could not concentrate even on reading due to the sexual harassment by Srujan. Her statement also mentioned that all her documents were with the owner, but he was reluctant to give them to her. At the same time, the victim said that the owner of the plantation got her married to her uncle-in-law, Annu, in a temple in December 2024.
She said that after she became 3 months pregnant, the owner threw her and her husband out of the plantation's house and that she is now under the protection of someone else. She explained that her parents were also involved in the plantation owner's child marriage, and that recently her parents have been working in someone else's plantation.
In a letter written to the State Women's Commission, she said that she is living like a slave, living with a small child and that her husband is also harassing her.
Doctor who issued false age certificate
According to the victim, her school records show that her date of birth is 14.06.2007. However, Madikeri Forensic Medicine Doctor Ravi Kumar gave a report on August 18 that she could be between 22 and 25 years old. The above case was not registered then. However, the complaint letter was received by the Ponnampet Women and Child Welfare Department. Only after this, Dr. Ravikumar in Madikeri issued a certificate stating that the victim could be between 22 and 25 years old. Why he issued the age certificate without asking anyone is also a mystery. It is also said that the age certificate can be scientifically verified by dentists, pediatricians and bone and joint doctors together and issued, but forensic science doctors have no authority to issue it.
Who is the case against?
Based on the complaint filed by the victim, a case has been registered against seven people. A case has been registered against the victim's husband Annu alias Raghu, the owner of the plantation, Srujan, the victim's father Kaddi, mother Kaveri, the Ponnampet Women and Child Welfare Officer who did not check the application even after receiving it, the medical officer of the Gonikoppa Government Hospital for not reporting the delivery of the minor girl, and Ravi Kumar, a forensic science doctor at the Madikeri Medical College, who gave a wrong age certificate. The ITDP department officials have also asked them to register a case under the Child Labour Act. The officials have also written to the police department to register a case against the management of the temple where the victim was married.
A case has been registered in the 2nd Additional District and Sessions Court of Madikeri (functioning in Virajpet) under the Prevention of Child Marriage Act, SC-ST Atrocities Act, and Sexual Offences against Children Act.
Note:This article is translated by xklsv.com, from shakthidaily.info; the Shakthi Daily is not liable for any errors in translation. If there are any errors in spellings, please mail [email protected]
