Man held for raping minor girl on pretext of marriage in UP's Ballia

The accused was arrested on Saturday, police said

Representative image. Credit: iStock Photo

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a man here on the pretext of marriage, police said on Sunday.

On May 6, the girl, a resident of Bihar, had gone to her maternal grandmother’s house in a village under Bairia police station area to attend a function, SHO Dharamveer Singh said.

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The same day, accused Mukesh Kumar (22), a resident of the same village, raped her on the pretext of marriage, he said.

The accused was arrested on Saturday, he said.

An FIR under relevant sections of IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered against him and he has been sent to jail on judicial custody, the SHO said.