Police Foil Child Marriage Attempt in Thane

Authorities thwarted a child marriage in Thane district, arresting eight individuals while the girl's father and two others escaped. They had arranged the 14-year-old's marriage to a 30-year-old for monetary gain. Police intervened just in time, leading to a chaotic scene and further investigations.

Authorities successfully disrupted a planned child marriage in Thane district, leading to the arrest of eight people, while the father of the bride and two accomplices remain at large, according to police reports.

Officers acted on a tip-off regarding the impending wedding of a 14-year-old girl to a 30-year-old man. The ceremony was halted just before it was to take place at Pilanje village, as per an official from the Ganeshpuri police station. The investigation revealed that the girl's father and stepmother had allegedly arranged her marriage to Mangesh Gadekar for Rs 1.20 lakh.

During the police intervention, chaos ensued, allowing the girl's father, her stepmother, and a middleman to escape. Eight individuals from the groom's side were apprehended, and an FIR has been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Child Marriage Act. The incident is under further investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)