Acting on directions of the National Scheduled Caste Commission, the police today arrested a person on charges of rape and marrying a minor girl.
The girl was student of fifth standard and 13 years old, when her relatives forcibly married her on February 27, 2009 and in her complaint to the police, she alleged that she was being sexually assaulted by her husband and he used to beat her mercilessly.
The minor girl of Dhakra village under the jurisdiction of Begowal police station in Kapurthla district, was allegedly sold for marriage for Rs 70,000 by her maternal uncles and cousin brothers to a handicapped person Lakhvir Singh of Dhandoi village of Rangar Nangal police station in Gurdaspur district.
After escaping from her in-law's place around three months back, she went to her brother Jarnail Singh, who took her to SSP Kapurthala to lodge a complaint.
But, the SSP refused to register a case saying, it came under the jurisdiction of Batala police.
It was then that they approached the vice chairman of National Commission for SC Raj Kumar Verka, who summoned SSP Kapurthala and ordered to lodge a complaint against the culprits within 3 days and arrest them within a week.
The police arrested Lakhbir Singh today and have registered a case against him and other relatives of the girl. Raids are being conducted to nab the rest.
