A 31-year-old man was arrested in Sathyamangalam taluk on Sunday (July 20, 2025) on charges of marrying a minor girl, who died two days after the wedding.
The police said the accused Sakthivel, a daily-wage labourer from Thandampalayam village in Bhavanisagar, had allegedly lured the 17-year-old girl, a school dropout, and sexually assaulted her. He reportedly married her on July 15 and brought her to his residence.
On the following day, the girl developed abdominal pain and was taken to the Government Hospital in Sathyamangalam. As her condition worsened, she was referred to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital, where she died on July 17.
Acting on a complaint filed by the girl’s mother, the Punjai Puliyampatti police registered a case and conducted an inquiry. Initial investigations revealed that the girl had been given medication purchased from a local pharmacy to relieve her symptoms.
The police booked Sakthivel under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. He was produced before a magistrate in Sathyamangalam and remanded in judicial custody.
Further investigations are under way to determine the exact cause of the girl’s death.
Published – July 21, 2025 01:36 pm IST
