Madurai
The Madurai rural district police have arrested eight out of the 10 persons booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in connection with a man eloping with a minor girl near Melur.
The accused have been booked for unlawful assembly, procuration of minor girl, attempt to murder, and under the provisions of POCSO Act.
The girl was admitted to the Government Rajaji hospital after she had reportedly consumed poison along with S. Nagoor Haneefa, 26, who had eloped with her, Madurai Superintendent of Police V. Baskaran, said.
In a statement, he said that after taking the girl from her house with the help of his friends on February 14, the boy had gone to his uncle’s house in Erode and they lived like husband and wife.
Meanwhile, Haneefa’s mother, Mathina Begam, had scolded him for eloping with the girl as it would create trouble in the village.
“Haneefa and the girl had decided to end their lives and reportedly consumed poison. However, Haneefa had spitted it out immediately. Since, the girl had consumed it, her health deteriorated,” the SP said.
The youth dropped the girl at his house near Melur and asked his mother to hand her over to her family. Accordingly, Ms. Begam dropped the girl at her home on March 3.
Since, the family members came to know about the girl having consumed poison, she was rushed to a private hospital and from there taken to the Government hospital in Melur.
Later, she was shifted to Government Rajaji hospital as her condition worsened.
“According to medical report, the girl has not been subjected to any sexual torture and there were no injuries on her body,” Mr. Baskaran said.
When the police wanted to register a girl missing case on February 15, the girl’s father had pleaded not to register first information report, fearing that it could bring disrepute to his daughter, the Melur police had issued a receipt for community service register.
However, subsequently he agreed for registration of FIR after the police impressed on him and the case was registered on February 21.
Special teams of police nabbed Haneefa on Saturday who had revealed about their love affair and their elopement.
The SP clarified that Haneefa had taken the girl immediately after consuming poison to a private hospital without revealing the fact.
“The injection mark on the girl’s hand was that of the venflon used at the hospital as part of the treatment,” the SP said.
Besides Haneefa, the police have arrested his friends, P. Prakash, M. Perumal Krishnan, Rajamohammed, Shahul Hameed, his parents, Sultan Alauddin and Begam, his aunt, Ramzan Begam.
The SP has warned people against revealing the identity of the minor girl and against circulating her photograph in the social media.
(Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling State’s health helpline 104 or Chennai-based Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)
