MALAYSIA - A 20-year-old youth who eloped with a 14-year-old girl and married her in a temple is in hospital after being attacked by the girl's family, Makkal Osai reported.

The youth, known only as Vijendran, is unconscious at a hospital in Segamat and is suffering from failure of both kidneys.

Vijendran, from Taman Kejora in Tebong, Malacca, had fallen in love with the underaged girl, who was his neighbour.

The couple ran away on June 14 and, with the help of friends, got married at a temple in Jementah, Segamat.

The girl's relatives managed to find them and beat up Vijendran.

The newspaper claimed that police had failed to act on those who assaulted Vijendran although reports had been lodged.