Daijiworld Media Network - Yadgir (MS)

Yadgir, Apr 9: A serving police constable in Yadgir district has been slapped with charges under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following a harrowing complaint filed by a minor girl.

The victim alleges two years of sexual exploitation at the hands of the constable. The incident has been reported from the vicinity of the Sydapura police station, near Gurumathkal taluk.

The now 18-year-old victim lodged her complaint at the Yadgir women’s police station on Wednesday, detailing the alleged abuse. According to police sources, the accused constable, who is attached to the Sydapura police station, allegedly approached the victim when she was just 16 years old. He reportedly professed his love for her and subsequently engaged in sexual exploitation for a period of two years, all under the false promise of marriage.

In her complaint, the victim further stated that when she became pregnant, the constable allegedly provided her with tablets to induce an abortion. After she turned 18 in December 2024, the constable reportedly married her at the sub-registrar’s office. However, the victim claims that the man's family refused to accept her as their daughter-in-law, leading to the constable disowning her and denying any relationship between them.

Left with no other recourse, the victim and her family have approached the Yadgir women’s police station seeking justice, leading to the registration of a POCSO case against the accused constable.

This incident adds to a worrying trend of similar cases involving law enforcement personnel in Karnataka. In 2021, a police constable in Mangaluru district was arrested and subsequently dismissed from service for allegedly raping a minor rape victim on the promise of marriage.

Earlier this year, in January 2025, a sub-inspector in Chikkamagaluru was booked for allegedly torturing his wife for dowry and exploiting female complainants who visited the police station seeking justice. In that case, the complainant alleged that her husband targeted vulnerable women who came to lodge complaints or for passport verification, befriending or coercing them into sexual favours in exchange for getting their work done.