Thiruvananthapuram, A youth (23), accused of raping a minor girl, has been arrested for secretly marrying the victim. Police said on Tuesday that the incident took place at Panavoor in Nedumangadu in Thiruvananthapuram district. Apart from the youth, the father of the minor girl (16) and the cleric in a local mosque have also been arrested for getting her married.

He told that this child marriage was done on January 18. After getting information in this regard, the matter came to light when the school authorities inquired in this regard. On the basis of his complaint, the police investigated and arrested the three accused. According to the police, the main accused has been identified as Al-Amir. He was arrested in 2021 for raping the victim, but was currently out on bail.

Based on the complaint of the victim's family, a case was registered against him last year and he was jailed, but he was released on bail and was constantly trying to persuade the girl's family to marry him. A case has been registered against Amir, the girl's father and the cleric under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. Police said that the local court ordered to keep all three in custody and they were sent to jail.