Kolkata police arrest three in child marriage case involving government scheme fraud

Kolkata police have arrested three individuals, including a minor girl's father, her husband, and her mother-in-law, in connection with a child marriage case. The incident came to light after the girl's family allegedly concealed the marriage to continue receiving financial benefits from the West Bengal government's ‘Kanyaratna Shiksha Anudan Yojana’, a scheme designed to promote education for unmarried girls and discourage child marriage.

The minor, a resident of the Nodakhali area in South 24 Parganas, had reportedly left home approximately 1.5 months ago to live with a young man in Haridevpur. While the girl expressed a desire to stay with her husband, the father reportedly prioritized the monthly government aid, even telling the girl she must return home for scheme verification.

The matter was eventually reported to the police by an NGO. Officers from the Haridevpur Police Station rescued the girl and filed charges against the husband and mother-in-law under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, citing kidnapping and sexual harassment.