RAUTAHAT, DECEMBER 16

Police today arrested a bridegroom and his relatives on the charge of trying to marry a minor girl aged 14 from Shivnagar Mahadev temple in Rautahat.

Bridegroom Mukesh Giri, 22, his father Ram Sagar Giri, relative Ram Shrestha Giri and priest Kapildev Chaube were nabbed from the wedding mandap of Mahadev Temple at Garuda Municipality by a team deployed from Shivnagar Area Police office.

Acting on the tip-off that a child marriage was under way at the temple, SP Siddi Bikram Shah of Rautahat District Police Office had issued a directive to arrest the bridegroom and his relatives.

The arrested people, including the bridegroom, have been kept at the Area Police Office for action.

Police have also arrested bride’s mother Laxmi Giri and aunt Gita Giri.

Preliminary investigation showed that the bridegroom’s side had tempted the bride to tie the knot taking advantage of her poor financial condition, added SP Shah.

According to police, the girl’s age is between 14 and 15. The bride’s relatives, however, claimed that the girl had reached 18. They said that they wanted to marry off the girl due to her financial condition.

Bridegroom Mukesh has passed grade XII. He has hearing and communication difficulty. “We will probe the incident and file a case against people involved in the child marriage,” SP Rana stated.