Man held for abducting girl in UP's Muzaffarnagar

A man who had allegedly abducted a minor a year ago and later married her was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, police said on Wednesday. The couple, who now have a child, was staying in Haryana's Panipat and police brought them to Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday, Station House Officer (SHO) Anil Kaparvan said.

He said a case of abduction and under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered against the accused. However, the 17-year-old girl in her statement to police maintained that she willingly married the man and went with him to Haryana, Kaparvan said.

The girl's family had lodged a complaint against the accused for allegedly abducting her. The girl and the child were handed over to her family, Kaparvan said.