A mother-son duo was arrested by Tilakwadi police in Belagavi for allegedly pressuring a minor girl into marriage to clear a Rs 50,000 loan. Two other family members involved in the case are still at large.
The arrested individuals, Vishal Pundalik Dhawali (22) and his mother Rekha Pundalik Dhawali, residents of Mangai Nagar, Vadgaon, were taken into custody after a complaint was filed by the 17-year-old victim. The FIR also names Vishal’s father and brother.
The victim, originally from Saundatti taluk, moved to Belagavi with her mother after her father’s death. They had been living with relatives who were struggling financially. To help them, the victim’s mother borrowed Rs 50,000 from Rekha, offering her gold earrings as collateral.
When the mother failed to repay the loan on time, Rekha allegedly began pressuring her to marry off her daughter to Vishal. Despite her promises to repay the loan, the pressure continued. On September 17, 2024, they allegedly abducted the girl from Vadgaon and took her to Athani, where she was forcibly married to Vishal at a temple the following day.
The incident remained hidden until January 17, 2025, when the victim finally came forward to the police. Police Inspector Parashuram Pujeri promptly arrested Vishal and Rekha, with ongoing efforts to apprehend the other accused. Authorities also revealed that the victim’s mother, employed as a security guard at a construction site, had taken the loan three months before the kidnapping.
