Udupi: Man arrested for luring minor girl, accusing parents of child marriage

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (VM)

Udupi, Feb 21: Padubidri police have arrested a person for allegedly luring a minor girl belonging to Uchila under Bada gram panchayat limits, and taking her to Mangalore and handing her over to the children's home at Bondel on claims that her family had planned to marry her off.

The arrested has been identified as Rohit Daniel from Bhubaneswar, Orissa. A teacher by profession, he is married to a girl from Udupi and settled here.

Daniel is employed at a private school in Kaup, where the minor girl is a student. It is said that he used to send lewd SMSes to the girl and was dismissed by the school management last month after the girl's parents complained.

The accused on January 7 gave a complaint to Mumbai Bala Mandir stating that the family members of the girl were giving her away in marriage even though she was a minor. The complaint was transferred to Bala Mandir at Nittur on January 16, where parents of the child were called and counselling was conducted.

However, the girl gave a written statement that the complaint by Daniel was false, after which she was handed over to the parents.

But on February 18, she left her home, leaving behind a note that there was no fault of 'Daniel sir' and asked for her parents' forgiveness.

A complaint was filed in the police station wherein the parents accused Daniel of brainwashing their daughter and trying to convert her to his religion. They clearly stated that they were not planning to give their daughter in marriage.

The accused was produced in the court and as he took ill, he was admitted to hospital.

As the girl refused to go back with her parents, she was kept at Nittur Bala Mandir, Udupi. On Wednesday she was again produced before the judge where she agreed to go back to her house. She was then handed over to her parents.

Sources said that on Thursday the girl will be produced in the court again.