A victim of a child marriage from Bihar allegedly died by suicide in Bengaluru, police said on Monday. Police said the victim, a minor girl, ended her life near Hebbagodi in the outskirts of the metropolitan on Wednesday. Officials have confirmed that her husband, Vishal Kumar Sahani, has been arrested on charges of marrying a minor and abetting her suicide.
The complaint leading to Sahani’s arrest was filed by Sridevi, an activist with the District Child Welfare Committee. Sahani, who had moved to Bengaluru a year prior and worked as a painter, married Kumari in February 2023.
The couple married in February 2023, and Sahani brought the victim to Bengaluru 20 days ago. They lived in a rented house in Tirupalya locality, where the body was found hanging. The couple had been residing in Bengaluru for 20 days in a rented house in Tirupalya, where Kumari was found dead.
Police investigations revealed that Sahani may have forced physical relations upon Kumari, contributing to her mental distress. The district children protection officers have inspected the site and provided a report to the Hebbagodi police.
Further details are awaited as the investigation into the matter is underway.
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