Forced wedding of underage girl leads to harsh punishment for perpetrator

A man in Bihar received a stern sentence after orchestrating a forced wedding for a teenage girl. Gunjan Singh Bandeja, who arranged the ceremony at Devkund temple in Haspura, was convicted under multiple statutes, including the Poxox Act and the BN S Act. The court handed down a 20‑year rigorous imprisonment term, a fine of INR 30,000, and an additional seven‑year term with a fine of INR 20,000, to be served concurrently. The victim, who had traveled for a medical scan, was rescued by police after alerting her father. The judgment also mandated a compensation payout of INR 1 lakh under the state’s victim compensation scheme and accounted for time already spent in detention. Legal experts view the ruling as a powerful deterrent against child marriage.