A 70-year-old Arab sheikh from Oman was arrested on Friday allegedly after he married a 17-year-old girl of the old city on contract basis by paying Rs. 60,000 to her mother.

Along with the accused, Al Sanaidi Khamis Mohd. Khamis, 72, two brokers -- Noorjahan and Shafiq Mohammed -- were also held, while the qazi from Kishanbagh who performed the marriage was absconding.

The teenager was confined in a house to live with the sheikh for a fortnight in the old city.

Somehow, the girl managed to convince a 10-year-old boy that she got married against her will and made him call on the mobile phone of South Zone DCP V. Satyanarayana.

Within seven minutes of receiving the phone call, a police party rushed to the area in Kanchanbagh in the patrol vehicle and raided the house.

Man tried to sexually assault her

The rescued teenager charged that the old man tried to sexually assault her.

The accused came to Hyderabad 10 days ago on tourist visa.

“He said that even his forefathers had come to Hyderabad and married minors here on contract basis and flew back to their countries,” the DCP said.

Initially, the sheikh approached agents in Barkas and Chandrayangutta to find a minor for him to marry. As they failed to arrange anyone, he approached brokers Noorjahan and Shafiq who fixed the deal by paying money to the minor’s mother.