Andhra Pradesh school teacher arrested for allegedly 'marrying' minor student

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A 46-year-old school teacher, K Somaraju, was arrested in Taderu, Andhra Pradesh, for purportedly 'marrying' a 15-year-old student from Yandagani Zilla Parishad High School near Bhimavaram in West Godavari district. The police arrested Somaraju, a Hindi teacher, on charges of enticing the minor girl under the guise of affection and conducting a 'marriage' ceremony by tying a sacred thread around her neck.

"Somaraju courted the minor girl for four months and gave his smartphone to her. Recently, he picked her up from her house, took her to his house and married her," West Godavari District Disha (women's protection wing) DSP N Murali Krishna told PTI.

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According to District Disha (women's protection wing) DSP N Murali Krishna, Somaraju reportedly courted the minor for four months, providing her with a smartphone. He then allegedly took her to his residence, where he conducted the 'marriage' on November 19 after luring her from her home. Following the forced 'marriage,' he allegedly kept her with him for several days and consummated the relationship.

However, the girl managed to escape and returned home to Yandagandi village, narrating her ordeal to her family. Subsequently, accompanied by her father, the 10th-grade student approached the police and filed a complaint against her Hindi teacher.

The police arrested Somaraju, who had been abandoned by his wife seven years ago, charging him under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 342 (wrongful confinement), and 506 (criminal intimidation). Additionally, he faces charges under Sections 5 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Section 9 of the Child Marriage Act.

The DSP confirmed that Somaraju is slated to appear before a judge later on Friday for further legal proceedings.

Earlier this year, a youth in Mumbai was arrested for allegedly marrying his minor girlfriend after falsifying her date of birth on her Aadhar Card to show she is an adult. According to the Mumbai Police personnel's statement to an agency, the girl's father filed a complaint at Dahisar Police station in connection with the case.

Reportedly, she was born on May 7, 2006, but the accused got it changed to March 12, 2004, on her Aadhaar Card. The incident came to light when the 23-year-old accused and the girl after getting married came to the police station as part of legal formalities. The girl's father was contacted and the discrepancy came to light.

With agency inputs