14-year-old Delhi teen flees home, allegedly sold into forced marriage, dies after 40-day hospital battle

The girl left her home at the age of 14 after a family dispute and ended up living on the street, picking rags to survive before being sold into marriage with a man from Rajasthan. But her ordeal came to light when she landed at a Delhi hospital, where she died after a 40-day battle for life.

What happened to the girl?

According to Hindustan Times, the Delhi Police recorded the girl's statement when she was undergoing treatment at the GTB Hospital. The Delhi Police has registered an FIR in the matter. The police sources mentioned, "Initially, we got to know that the girl, a resident of the Dayalpur area, had left her house after a dispute with her family members last year. Her family members had never lodged a missing person report or approached the police." The Delhi Police added that she began living on the streets and picked rags to survive.

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Where was she retrieved from?

On October 24, a passerby encountered the girl in a critical condition in Haryana's Panipat and notified the police.

She was first taken to a local police station in Panipat and later shifted to Delhi, where she was admitted to GTB Hospital for treatment. "She was extremely malnourished and suffering from multiple health complications when she was brought to the hospital," the officer said.

According to HT, after receiving information from the hospital, a team from the police station arrived and recorded the girl's statement. She had lodged a complaint that says she was sold and forcibly married to a man in Rajasthan, and she somehow managed to escape from there and eventually ended up in Haryana, the police source said.

The Delhi Police mentioned, "Despite sustained medical care, she could not recover and died on December 12."

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The sources mentioned, "We have registered an FIR and have launched further investigation into the matter. The role of the parents and guardians is also under scrutiny. We are verifying claims made by relatives and examining whether there was any cruelty or abandonment that contributed to the condition.”

Medical records and post-mortem findings are under scrutiny to establish the exact cause of death, which is believed to be linked to prolonged illness and extreme weakness.