Ahmedabad police file FIR in child marriage case, six individuals named

The Gaikwad Haveli Police in Ahmedabad have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against six people for their alleged involvement in the illegal marriage of a 14-year-old girl in the Jamalpur area.

The accused include family members Saif Khan (19), the groom; Imtiaz Khan Abdulgani Pathan, the girl’s father; Subakhan Abdulgani Pathan, the groom’s father and girl’s uncle; Abdulgani Hazratjan Pathan, grandfather of both; alleged witnesses Ayub Khan Abdulgani and Imran Khan Hazrat Pathan; and Jamaluddin Siddiqui, the cleric who solemnized the marriage at Kachni Masjid on April 10, 2025.

Police initiated the investigation after receiving an anonymous complaint on May 21, 2025, detailing the child marriage. According to the police report, Saif Khan married his 14-year-old cousin, Alia (name changed), daughter of Imtiaz Khan, on the evening of April 10, 2025.

Subakhan Abdulgani Pathan, a resident of Jamalpur Kachni Masjid, is accused of facilitating the marriage between his son and niece.

During the police investigation, the family reportedly justified the marriage based on traditional customs and the poor health of the groom’s mother.

However, police confirmed the girl’s age as 14 years and one month at the time of the marriage using her birth certificate submitted with the complaint.

Legal proceedings have been initiated under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, which criminalises child marriage and punishes those involved. The accused cleric and family members are expected to be summoned for questioning as the investigation continues to determine the extent of each individual’s involvement.