CUDDALORE: Three daughters were not enough for this couple. A son was indispensable and they were prepared to go to any lengths to achieve that. With ‘Beti Bachao’ campaign at its peak across the country, the desire for a son still makes people take extreme measures.
A shocking incident from Cuddalore district is the most recent such crime. Virudhachalam All Women Police have arrested a man for allegedly abducting, marrying and raping a 16-year-old girl. His wife was also arrested for standing by him as she too was desperate for a son.
The accused were daily wage labourers and had three daughters. “The man entered a relationship with a minor girl and his wife knew all about it. They planned to abduct the victim and forcefully marry her, so that a son would be born in their family,” police sources said.
On Thursday, the couple planned a trip to a temple in a nearby village and convinced the minor’s parents to send her along with them. The man reportedly married the minor at the temple on the same day and then took shelter at a relative’s place, where he raped the girl, added police.
Meanwhile, as their daughter did not return, the worried parents phoned accused woman, who claimed ignorance of the minor’s whereabouts. The parents then began a search for the girl and sought police help. On Saturday, the police arrested the couple from their relative’s place and handed over the victim to her parents.
The couple has been booked on the charge of abduction and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.