According to a police official on Friday, a 46-year-old father of two daughters and school teacher was detained here for allegedly “marrying” his 15-year-old minor student.

On Thursday, K Somaraju, a Hindi teacher at Yandagani Zilla Parishad High School near Bhimavaram in the West Godavari district, was taken into custody by the police for allegedly seducing the girl under false pretenses of love and’marrying’ her by wrapping a sacred thread around her neck.

“For four months, Somaraju courted the young girl and gave her his smartphone. Press Trust of India was informed by West Godavari District Disha (women’s protection wing) DSP N Murali Krishna that “he picked her up from her house, took her to his house and’married’ her.”

Somaraju allegedly coerced the girl into being his spouse on November 19 and then consummated the’marriage’ by keeping her with him for a few days.

Krishna, however, claimed that the girl was able to get away, make her way back to Yandagandi village, and tell her family about the ordeal.

Later, the student in the tenth grade went to the police with her father in tow and complained about her Hindi teacher.

Somaraju’s wife left him seven years ago, and the police have arrested him and filed a case under IPC Sections 376, 342 and 506.

In addition, he was charged under Sections 9 of the Child Marriage Act and Sections 5 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) Act.

Somaraju will appear before a judge later today, according to the DSP.