New Delhi: A young girl who left her home at the age of 14 following a family dispute and endured days of hardship, including living on the streets and allegedly being sold into a forced marriage, died at a Delhi hospital after battling for her life for over 40 days, police sources said on Tuesday.

The girl’s ordeal came to light after she was admitted in a critical condition to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital in Delhi, where her statement was recorded by police during treatment. Following her death, an FIR has now been registered in the case, sources said.

“Initially, we got to know that the girl, a resident of Dayalpur area had left her house after dispute with her family members last year. Her family members had never lodged a missing person report or approached the police,” a police officer said. After leaving home, she began living on the streets and survived by picking rags, he added.

On October 24, a passerby found the girl lying in a critical condition in Haryana’s Panipat district and alerted the police. She was first taken to a local police station there and later shifted to Delhi, where she was admitted to GTB Hospital.

“She was extremely malnourished and suffering from multiple health complications when she was brought to the hospital,” the officer said.

According to police sources, after receiving information from the hospital, a police team reached the facility and recorded the girl’s statement. She alleged that she had been sold and forcibly married to a man in Rajasthan. She later managed to escape and eventually reached Haryana, where she collapsed due to her deteriorating health, the source said.

“Despite sustained medical care, she could not recover and died on December 12,” the source said.

Police have launched a detailed investigation into the circumstances that led to her death.

“We have registered an FIR and have launched further investigation into the matter. The role of the parents and guardians is also under scrutiny. We are verifying claims made by relatives and examining whether there was any cruelty or abandonment that contributed to the condition,” the source said.