53-year-old marries teen girl, 13 booked

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A 53-year-old man reportedly married a 16-year-old girl on April 28, leading to a police case being registered against 13 individuals recently at the Shillegaon Police Station.

According to police, Bhagwan Bhalerao from Lasur Station tied the knot with the minor girl from Palkhed village at the Mahadev Temple on Dongaon Road. The marriage came to light when the Child Helpline Unit informed gram panchayat member Dnyaneshwar Mukne, confirming the illegal union. Authorities quickly acted, with Shillegaon Police registering a case against the groom, the girl's father, other relatives, and even the priest involved. This swift action was led by acting project coordinator Amrapali Borde, child protection officer Deepak Bajare, and police constable Kautikrao Suradkar. Police inspector Ravi Kirtikar is now leading the ongoing investigation.