Ahmedabad, December 29: City Police have arrested a 21-year-old for allegedly abducting a minor girl and later forcefully changing her religion for marriage and subsequently raping her. The man has been charged under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Amendment Act.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the FIR was lodged on December 11 over the alleged abduction of a teenager by unknown persons after she went missing from Himalayan Mall in Ahmedabad the same day.  Tamil Nadu: Busman Arrested for Raping, Impregnating 17-Year-Old Girl in Madurai

Days later, the girl returned home after which police lodged a case against the Ahmedabad resident.

A senior police officer said “The man got in touch with the girl on Instagram in 2019 by using a different name and they became friends. On December 11, the man called her to the Himalayan Mall from where he abducted her and took her to Banaskantha. Later, with the help of some friends, he took her to Rajasthan where he married her forcefully by changing her religion. We have arrested the man and have seized his phone. Further investigation is on.”  Punjab Shocker: Minor Girl Raped And Impregnated By Stepfather In Amritsar District; Case Registered Under POCSO Act

The police have booked the accused under Indian Penal Code sections 376 for rape and 366 for abduction, as well as sections of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Amendment act and Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2021 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).