21-Year-Old Arrested in Tragic Teenage Marriage Case

A 21-year-old man from Palghar was arrested for marrying a 16-year-old girl who died from pregnancy complications. The victim, from Moranada village, died in June. Police have charged the man and 10 others under various IPC sections and POCSO Act.

A 21-year-old tribal man from Palghar district has been taken into custody for allegedly marrying a 16-year-old girl who succumbed to pregnancy-related complications earlier this month, according to local authorities.

The accused, Jayesh Misal, and the young girl from Moranada village in Mokhada, reportedly tied the knot on March 29, following a love affair. Tragically, the girl passed away at the Mokhada rural hospital on June 6 due to complications arising from her pregnancy.

Law enforcement officials stated that an FIR was registered against Misal under multiple IPC sections and the POCSO Act, following a DNA test conducted on the foetus. Additionally, cases have been filed against 10 individuals, including Misal's family members. Charges against Misal include sections 376 (2) n (repeated rape) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 4 and 8 of the POCSO Act, alongside various sections of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.