Rawalpindi-Police have arrested a man who was marrying a 13-year-old girl in limits of Police Station Saddar Jhelum, informed a spokesman to RPO on Saturday.
He added police also held the fathers of groom and bride. However, the (Nikkah Khawan) managed to escape from the scene, he added.
Cases were registered against the accused while further investigation was on, the spokesman said. He said Regional Police Officer (RPO) Suhail Habib Tajik has directed the DPO Jhelum to arrest the fleeing cleric besides interrogating the accused as per law.
According to him, a police team, on a tip-off, carried out a raid on a house and halted the marriage ceremony of a 13-year-old girl. He said police held Ali Salman (groom), his father Salman and Mehraj Khalid (father of bride) and shifted them to police station for further investigation.
He informed the cleric namely Hafiz Rehmat escaped from the scene and raids are being conducted to arrest him.
Following the orders of RPO Suhail Habib Tajik, a First Information Report has been lodged against the accused involved in giving the girl in marriage with an elderly man forcefully.
He said the girl would also be produced before a court of law for recording her statement.
On the other hand, a team of Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Rawalpindi Region along with magistrate Shohaib Tariq carried out a raid and held an Assistant Land Control Officer on charges of taking bribe from a citizen.
The accused has been identified as Khalid Mehmood Anjum, against whom a case was also registered with ACE RR Police Station, informed a spokesman to Director. He added anti-graft body raided the office of the land revenue officer on complaint of Raja Amir Abbas who accused him of receiving Rs15000 bribe for clearing lacunas in land ownership documents.
A case has been registered against the accused while further investigation is being conducted by Circle Officer Zahid Zahoor.