Tirupati: A dramatic turn of events involving a 16-year-old girl who fled from Chittoor Government Hospital has raised troubling questions about the handling of child protection cases and the efficiency of the monitoring system in the state.

The girl, an orphan hailing from Karvetinagaram mandal in Chittoor district, has been residing at a state-run child protection home in Tirupati after losing her parents at an early age.

Officials say she was under institutional care and supervision but often visited her elder sister, who lives in BNR Peta near Chittoor town.

It was during one such visit that she reportedly came into contact with a 23-year-old shopkeeper from Yadamari mandal.

Their acquaintance swiftly turned into a relationship, and the two were allegedly married just days ago — a clear violation of laws protecting minors from early and unlawful marriages.

When authorities at the protection home came to know about the marriage, they promptly registered a complaint at the BNR Peta Police Station.

Following standard procedure, the girl was brought to Chittoor Government Hospital for medical evaluation and legal documentation.

However, in a shocking lapse, the teenager slipped away from the hospital even before the woman constable assigned to her case could complete the paperwork. The escape triggered a frantic search operation across bus stations and public areas in and around Chittoor.

Finally, she was found in Bengaluru and brought back to Chittoor for further procedures.