MALAPPURAM: An incident of child marriage has been reported here after a girl who is only 14 years old got pregnant. The 22-year-old husband went into hiding following this. The girl was only 14 years old when she married her 22-year-old relative, an Adivasi youth from Kurumbalangode Chola Colony in Pothukallu. The girl became pregnant the very next year. When the girl was admitted to the Nilambur district hospital for delivery the doctor informed the police. However, the girl was not in a condition to be kept in the hospital till the arrival of police and the doctor immediately referred her to Kozhikode Medical College. By the time the police arrived, the relatives had gone to Kozhikode with the pregnant woman. The women police followed them.

They were found by the police at the Mother and Child Care Center of Kozhikode Medical College. But the physically weak girl was not in a position to be questioned. Due to premature birth, the baby and mother were transferred to the intensive care unit. The husband went into hiding when he learned that the incident would be prosecuted. The police have sent the child's DNA sample for testing. The anticipatory bail application filed by the husband was rejected yesterday in the Manjeri POCSO Special Court.