SHRC orders probe into forced marriage complaint by woman from Assam

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has ordered a probe into the complaint of a woman from Assam, who alleged that she was forced to marry the owner of a poultry farm at Engappuzha in Kozhikode, where she had been working on daily wages. The investigation will be conducted under the leadership of a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The rights panel registered the case suo motu after coming across media reports about the grievance of the 19-year-old woman. A preliminary investigation report is to be filed by the police within 15 days. The case will be considered by the panel during its next sitting in Kozhikode on June 26.

According to the complainant, the poultry farm owner forced her to marry him when she demanded her pending wages following the closure of the farm. She alleged that there had also been attempts of sexual assault, accompanied by a claim that the marriage would be solemnised soon.

The woman, in her petition to the Thiruvambady police, alleged that the farm owner had threatened her father and sisters, who had accompanied her to the district two months ago in search of a better livelihood. 

The police said they had already registered a case against two persons, the farm owner and another worker, based on the woman’s complaint. Further investigation is under way.

Published - June 08, 2025 07:41 pm IST