Three held for conducting child marriage

COIMBATORE: Three people, including the mother of a minor girl and a woman matchmaker, were arrested for conducting a child marriage on Tuesday. The bridegroom was also arrested by the police.

The arrested were identified as M

Karthick Kumar

, 23, a wall painter, from

Pillaiyarpuram

near Podanur, P Thilaka, 35, mother of the girl from Arumuga Goundanur near Perur and M

Dhanalakshmi

, 40, the matchmaker from Ramachettipalayam near Perur. Police said M Pannerselvi, 45, mother of Karthick Kumar, is absconding.

The officials rescued the minor girl from the reception function held in a hotel at Sundarapuram on Monday evening. Rural welfare officer of Coimbatore district

Rabiya Begham

lodged a complaint with the inspector Amutha of Perur all-woman police station. A case was registered against the four people under sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Prohibition Child Marriage Act 2006. The police arrested Karthick Kumar, Thilaka and Dhanalakshmi and remanded them I judicial custody on Tuesday. The arrested people were lodged at the Coimbatore central prison.

A police team has been formed to nab Pannerselvi. The rescued victim girl was produced before the

Child Welfare Committee

(CWC) and later sent to the Marialaya home at Ganapathy.