Thane, Maharashtra: The accused was identified as Mohit Yadav, 24 (Representational)

A man from Maharashtra has been charged with driving a 14-year-old girl to suicide, the police said on Friday. The man had reportedly kidnapped the girl from Uttar Pradesh and had subsequently claimed her to be his wife, the official said.

The accused was identified as Mohit Yadav, 24, who lives at Badhwad in Bhiwandi, police said.

According to police, the girl, who was a relative of Mohit Yadav, died at a hospital in Thane a few days back after she set herself on fire over "harassment".

"Yadav had kidnapped the girl from Motiganj in Uttar Pradesh around six months back and brought her to his place in Bhiwandi, where he married her," district police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said.

Although the girl's family members knew about it, they did not file a police complaint fearing that it would bring a bad name, she said.

"However, the victim had complained to her parents that she was being harassed by the accused. Fed up of the harassment, she set herself ablaze on October 6 and was rushed to Thane Civil Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries five days later," Mr Narkar said.

Shanti Nagar police have registered an offence against Mr Yadav under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide), but he has not been arrested yet.