Kolkata, Sep 24 (IANS) Kolkata Police have arrested a 19-year-old youth after a 16-year-old girl gave birth to a baby girl, a senior officer said on Thursday.
The newborn was taken to Chittaranjan Seva Sadan Hospital for treatment, where the police were informed of the incident.
According to police, the girl is a resident of Entally and the accused, identified as Sameer Alam, also lives in the same area.
A case has been registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Investigations revealed that Alam had been sexually assaulting the minor since December 25, 2025, leading to her pregnancy.
She delivered the child at home on Monday, September 21, before being taken to hospital.
Doctors confirmed her age after verifying her Aadhaar card, following which the police were alerted. A ‘Zero FIR’ was initially filed at Bhowanipur police station and later transferred to Entally police station.
Police are probing whether the accused married the minor and if others were involved.
The arrest comes after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari reiterated that strict action would be taken against husbands in cases where teenage girls give birth before adulthood.
He had said the government would suo motu file cases under the POCSO Act, with culprits facing up to 20 years in prison and loss of government benefits.
Recently, police made two arrests in East Burdwan district in similar cases, and incidents have also been reported in Murshidabad.
However, such cases in Kolkata remain rare.
–IANS
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