Woman Arrested for Eloping with Minor Relative under POCSO Act

A 30-year-old woman has been detained under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly eloping with a 17-year-old boy and sexually exploiting him, according to police reports on Tuesday.

The woman, who is a mother to two children, and the minor, a distant relative, went missing about a week ago but were found five days later in Kollur, Karnataka, following separate missing reports by their families.

Authorities stated that the duo abstained from mobile phone use during their disappearance. The arrest was made after they were located in Kollur, where the woman had rented accommodation, purportedly to begin a new settlement. The initial contact between the woman and the minor occurred at a family event, leading to the alleged exploitation. She reportedly fled the boy's village in Kuthiyathodu police jurisdiction after her husband attempted to persuade her to return home. Subsequently, Cherthala police detained her under applicable POCSO Act sections, resulting in her judicial custody.

(With inputs from agencies.)