K'taka panchayat president arrested for marrying, impregnating minor girl

Belagavi: The Karnataka Police have arrested a grama panchayat president from Belagavi district for allegedly marrying a minor girl and impregnating her. The case came to light after the girl was admitted to a hospital for delivery.

According to police sources, the accused had reportedly married the girl in 2023, when she was just 15 years old. Following the news of the minor girl’s delivery, the district child protection unit lodged a complaint with the Belagavi Women’s Police Station. Subsequently, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

This incident marks the second case within a week in Karnataka where a minor girl has given birth. In Shivamogga district, a Class 9 student delivered a premature baby at her home on Friday, with her parents reportedly unaware that she was seven months pregnant.

The issue of teenage pregnancies in the state has drawn attention recently. Responding to a query by MLC Dhananjaya Sarji, the Karnataka government informed the House that 80,813 teenage pregnancies were reported across the state over the past three years. Among districts, Bengaluru Urban recorded 8,891 cases, followed by Vijayapura with 7,143 cases. Of the total teenage pregnancies, 3,459 involved girls aged between 14 and 17 years.