The accused beat up the girl and also prevented her from meeting parents (Representational)

A 36-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping and marrying a minor relative in Palghar district of Maharashtra, the police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Ajay Singh, held his 17-year-old niece captive at his home, Palghar police spokesperson Hemant Kumar Katkar said.

He allegedly married her forcibly and raped her repeatedly between November 2017 and December last year, the official said.

The accused also beat up the girl when she resisted his moves and prevented her from meeting her parents, he said.

Unable to bear the torture, the girl managed to escape from his house sometime back and approached the police. Based on her complaint, Singh was arrested on Wednesday and a case has been registered against him under sections such as rape, abduction to compel for marriage, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation, and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), he said.