26-year-old Anil was arrested by the Yelwala police under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for eloping with a minor girl, who turned out to be his wife’s niece.
Anil, the accused, was from KR Mohalla and was married to Kavya of Hunsur taluk on May 29 this year. Two months after the wedding, the accused befriended Kava’s niece - who had come with the newly-wed bride and stayed with her. Such stays are traditional.
In July, as per another ritual, Kavya had to go and stay in her parents’ house for a while. She took her niece with her as well. But the love bug had apparently bitten the husband and the niece by then.
As Kavya reached her parents’ house, Anil reached out to her niece and the two soon eloped.
On not being able to contact the girl, the worried parents of Kavya filed a case in the Yelwala Police Station. Anil’s parents too filed a missing complaint in KR Police Station.
When the families eventually discussed the issue, they suspected that Anil might have eloped with the girl as she was missing too.
The police called Anil on his phone and asked him to surrender before the police. Anil came to the KR Police Station along with Kavya’s niece on Sunday.
Kavya’s parents had also come to the station, prepared to thrash Anil for cheating their daughter.
However, the police averted any such incident and arrested Anil, after booking him under the POSCO Act 376 (rape).
Anil was produced before the court and has been sent to judicial custody.
The girl has been handed over to her parents, who have apparently taken her to an undisclosed location.
