Kolkata: After CM Suvendu Adhikari announced a crackdown on teenage pregnancies, in a first in the city, a special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) court in Sealdah on Saturday found a 30-year-old man guilty under both the child marriage prevention law and the Pocso Act after his minor wife delivered a child in a state-run hospital in Kolkata.
The incident dates to 2025 within the Chitpore Police Station area, where the accused lured the girl and secretly married her while concealing her age from officials, according to police and court records. This marks the first time an accused has been simultaneously convicted under both statutes in Kolkata, claimed Kolkata Police. The matter came to light after the girl gave birth at a hospital, where the local administration and police discovered from birth-related documents that the mother was underage. Hospital officials subsequently lodged a police complaint. The verdict arrives amid heightened state govt focus on minor protection. Following the formation of the new govt, the CM personally instructed the police administration to take strict action to prevent child marriage. Given that Bengal ranks at the top in child marriage cases by statistical measures, govt prosecutors view this conviction as especially significant.
The court is scheduled to announce the quantum of punishment on Monday.
In this instance, the 30-year-old unlawfully married a minor, who later gave birth to a child. During court arguments, the accused claimed they had married out of love and with mutual consent, appealing to the court to be released from the case after considering all circumstances. Special public prosecutor Asim Kumar noted that while the court has delivered several convictions in Pocso cases before, this case stands apart. Cops registered a case and arrested the accused. Charges were formally framed, initiating the trial process. Multiple prosecution witnesses, including a hospital doctor, presented critical testimony during the proceedings.
Upon completing their investigation, police submitted a charge sheet before the Sealdah court.