POCSO case booked against village panchayat president for marrying minor girl

BELAGAVI: An FIR has been booked against a village panchayat president for allegedly marrying a minor girl on November 5, 2023, in Basapur village, Hukkeri taluk, Belagavi district. The accused village panchayat president, Bheemshi Kalimani married a 15-year-old girl.

The district child protection officer, Dr Praveen, led a team that visited Basapur four times to find the girl as soon as they received the complaint, but she couldn’t be found. Meanwhile, Kalimani released a fake birth certificate to claim the girl was of legal age.

A comparison of school transfer certificates and birth records confirmed the girl’s age. Bheemshi was married to a minor on November 5, 2023, and now he is under the fear of arrest.

A POCSO case has been registered against Kalimani at the Yamakanamardi police station. The authorities are investigating the matter, and efforts are being made to locate the girl. This incident has raised concerns about child protection and the implementation of laws against child marriage in the region.