65-yr-old man forcibly marries minor, arrested

Bhubaneswar, Nov 25 (IANS) Wishing for a progeny, a childless 65-year-old man forcibly married a minor girl in Orissa. He was later arrested by the police, the Oriya daily 'Samaja' reported Tuesday.

The 16-year-old victim, a resident of Chandanpur district, had Monday gone to the local temple for offering prayers when Bijaya Mahala, a middle man, allegedly intoxicated her.

Bijaya then took the insensate girl to a temple in the neighbouring Bhadrak district and got her married to Prafulla Mahala, a resident of Mahuligaon village, about 170 km from here.

The girl started crying when she regained her senses. Noticing this, villagers beat up Prafulla and handed him over to the police.

Prafulla, the news daily said, is already married but wanted to mary a young girl as his first wife had borne him no child.

The middle man Bijaya is absconding.