15-year-old Thane girl ‘sold’ and sexually assaulted under guise of marriage; four held

Following a probe, the police apprehended the key accused and three others from Beed and Bhiwandi. Representational Pic

The Thane police in Maharashtra have arrested four individuals, including the 'husband' of a 15-year-old tribal girl, for abduction and sexual assault.

The minor, who was snatched from the Bhiwandi area of Thane, was reportedly 'sold' to a man in Beed district, located in the Marathwada region, under the fraudulent pretext of a legal marriage, reported PTI.

"The victim was exploited due to her extreme poverty and the absence of her parents. She was allegedly abducted on February 26 by a broker and his associates, who promised her a better life through marriage, only to sell her to an older man in Patoda, Beed," a Thane rural police official said.

Abuse reportedly continued from February 27 to March 10

According to the news agency, the minor was reportedly forced into an illegal marriage on February 27 after being threatened. Between February 27 and March 10, her "husband," Bhausaheb Tambe, allegedly kept her locked in a farm shed and raped her, according to the FIR.

Following a probe, the police apprehended Tambe and three others from Beed and Bhiwandi, Padgha police station inspector Jitendra Thakur said.

The accused have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Prevention of Child Marriage Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a police spokesperson said.

Man booked for allegedly flashing at minor in Bhiwandi

Police have registered a case against a 28-year-old man for allegedly exposing himself to a minor girl in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Tuesday.

According to PTI, the incident took place on March 14 in a chawl in the Bhiwandi area. According to police, the 13-year-old girl was standing outside her residence when the accused allegedly flashed at her, following which her mother lodged a complaint.

Based on the complaint, the Shantinagar Police Station registered a case on Sunday under Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to insulting the modesty of a woman, along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

Further investigation is underway, police said.

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(With PTI inputs)