Man arrested for enhancing minor girl’s age on Aadhaar, marrying her

MUMBAI: A 23-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly marrying a minor girl after getting the date of birth on her Aadhaar card altered to pass her off as an adult.

The Dahisar police have booked the accused on charges of kidnapping, cheating and forgery.

The police said the girl and the suspect knew each other. After getting the girl’s date of birth changed, they got married at the marriage registrar’s office in Bandra on April 11.

The incident came to light when the newlyweds visited Dahisar police station to inform the police about their marriage and submitted documents in support of their claim.

According to the police, the girl’s father, Sabhajeet Pal, 46, a tailor, later visited the police station and revealed that the girl was studying in Class 12 and had barely completed 16 years.

The police said the girl knew the accused, Gaurav Makwana, 23, for around six months. Makwana lives in Mira Road and works in a private firm.

He proposed to the girl a month ago and convinced her for marriage. After realising that the girl was a minor, the accused approached an Aadhaar centre and got the girl’s date of birth altered with the help of the centre operator, a police officer said.

After the police called the parents of the girl, they submitted her original Aadhaar Card and school leaving certificate in support of their claim. “The documents revealed that the girl was 16-year-old and based on the statement of her father, we registered a case and arrested the man,” Pravin Patil, senior inspector, said.