South 24 Paragnas, 06 January (H.S.): A young man who had arrived to marry a minor girl in Kultali area of South 24 Parganas district was arrested by the police on Monday night. The accused has been identified as 22-year-old Ariful Molla, a resident of Bahararu. As per information, his marriage had been arranged with a minor girl from Kultali area.

The police received information about this illegal marriage from confidential sources. Following this, the police, with the help of the Child Welfare Department, immediately reached the spot and stopped the marriage ceremony.

The police have taken the accused Ariful Molla, along with the minor girl's father and uncle, into custody. The groom's maternal uncle has also been detained by Kultali police. The minor girl has been safely rescued and brought to the police station.

The police are questioning the minor girl to ascertain whether she was being forced into the marriage.

Despite repeated awareness campaigns by the government to prevent child marriage, such illegal incidents are still coming to light in rural areas. The administration has made it clear that strict action will be taken against any attempt to ruin the future of minors by violating the law.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey