A case has been registered against six members of a woman's family for allegedly fabricating her age on her birth certificate to falsely implicate her husband under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. The action was taken following an order from the chief judicial magistrate's court in Pilibhit.
Background of the Case
Saba Hussain, 24, a resident of Bisalpur tehsil headquarters in Pilibhit district, married Mohd Wasim, 34, of Khatima, Uttarakhand, on March 22, 2024. The marriage was a love marriage, which was opposed by her family. Her elder brother lodged an FIR against Wasim on December 18, 2023, accusing him and his family members of abducting her. In the FIR, he explicitly stated her age as 22 years. He also claimed that she left with jewellery valued at Rs 10.6 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh in cash.
Legal Proceedings
Challenging the FIR, Saba filed a petition in the Uttarakhand High Court, following which she was granted protection from her paternal family for six weeks. However, her family later produced a fraudulent birth certificate to the police, portraying her as a minor. Relying on the document without verifying its authenticity, the police added Pocso Act charges to the FIR and subsequently arrested Wasim.
Allegations of Extortion
Police said that Saba's family members had earlier demanded Rs 2 lakh from Wasim, threatening to send him to jail under the Pocso Act, which he refused to pay. Following his arrest, he was produced before the court of the district and sessions judge on January 14 this year. Based on the Uttarakhand High Court order, the district judge ordered his immediate release.
Wasim's Statement
Wasim said that despite repeated pleas, police failed to audit the certificate and instead subjected him to harassment. He also accused Saba's brothers of misguiding the Child Welfare Committee to unlawfully secure custody of her. Wasim submitted an application to the district legal services authority, naming the principal of Umrai Singh Inter College as an opposite party, alleging that Saba's brothers had produced her fraudulent birth certificate to police, projecting it as issued by the same college.
College Principal's Verification
On April 10, the college principal submitted to the court that Saba was never enrolled there as a student. She also verified that the serial number on the fake certificate belonged to a caste certificate issued to one Ritesh Kumar of Kishanpur village, Wasim said.
Police Action
Pilibhit Kotwali SHO Satyendra Kumar said that complying with the court's order, an FIR was registered on Wednesday against Saba's three brothers and three other relatives under sections 318(4) (cheating and fraud), 352 (intentional insult), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 308(2) (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
