GURUGRAM: An interfaith couple that claimed to have got married and approached a city court on Monday for protection ended the day very differently from how they might have anticipated.
The duo told the court they had got married in Delhi on June 19 and consummated their marriage.
But the hearing took a turn when the court sought an examination of the certificate submitted by them in which the girl’s age was shown to be 18 years.
The certificate was found to be forged, after which the court summoned the parents and sought a response from the police.
Police found that a case under section 363 (kidnapping) and 366A (inducing a minor girl) of the IPC had been filed at Udyog Vihar police station on June 15 after the girl’s had filed a complaint.
The father submitted the girl’s age proof document that showed her to be 16.
Public prosecutor Jagbir Sehrawat said, “They had forged the document in which they had made some changes in the date of birth to show the girl as an adult.” Sehrawat added that the girl in her initial statement had claimed she had eloped with the man, but since she is a minor, consent doesn’t legally count.
Taking cognisance, additional session judge Sanjay Singh directed the police to file a case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the man (21) for sexually exploiting the minor.
The girl was sent to a shelter home.
A separate case will be filed for submitting a forged document in court.
“The girl changed her statement after meeting her parents in court.
A fresh statement of the girl will be recorded in the next few days,” said Sehrawat.