In a shocking incident, a 31-year-old man allegedly tied the knot with two sisters – one of them a minor who is differently abled – in Kolar district of Karnataka. The incident took place on May 7 but came to light on Sunday (May 16) when the police arrested the man, identified as Umapathi, his parents, in-laws and a few other people under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.

As per reports, Umapathi, a mason by profession, was set to tie the knot with 21-year-old Supriya, a native of Begamadagu village in Mulbagal taluka. However, a few days before the wedding, Supriya began insisting that Umapathi also marry her 16-year-old sister, who is deaf and mute.  Supriya feared that nobody would marry her sister due to her differently-abled status. At Supriya’s insistence, Umapathi agreed to marry the minor. On May 7, he married the two sisters.

According to a report published by The Times of India, Child Development Project Officer Ramesh, upon learning about the minor’s marriage, came rushing to the village. He discovered that Supriya was at her marital house in a neighbouring village while her minor sister was at her parents’ home. The police, after being alerted, arrested Umapathi, his parents, in-laws, the priest who performed the wedding rituals and the printer who made the wedding invitation cards. A case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.

“According to Venkataswamy, a Vegamadagu villager, the bride’s father Nagarajappa too had married Subbamma and her sister Ranemma, who is deaf and dumb and has no children, Subbamma has four daughters. The eldest got married last year, while the youngest is studying in primary school,” the report published by TOI stated.