KALABURAGI: District Child Protection unit of Women and Child Welfare Department has prevented the Gujjar marriage of a minor girl. Police also arrested ten people in this connection.
Speaking to Express, Child Protection unit law officer Bharatesh Sheelavant said the minor girl, who was forcibly brought by her family from Surpur town of Yadgir to Narboli village of Jewargi taluk of Kalaburagi on December 16, telephoned the control room on Sunday evening.
She told them that she was a minor and was forcibly brought to Narboli village for pre-marriage rituals. She also said her marriage was fixed at a temple in Diggavi village of Chittapur taluk.
The control room informed the matter to Child Development Project officer Papamma Habalkar and in turn, she contacted the Child Protection unit of Women and Child Welfare Department.
District Child Protection officer C V Raman rushed to Narboli along with law officer Bharatesh and talked to the girl. The girl, a Class 7 student, said her mother, two uncles and an aunt, were forcing her to marry a 26-year-old Gujarati youth, Devaraj, and the marriage was to take place at Diggavi.
The girl said her maternal uncle Suryakant has taken a major role in this Gujjar marriage. Suryakant, who was taken into custody by the Child Protection unit, said Nagamma alias Gubbamma alias Gubbi of Diggavi village was the mediator of the marriage.
Acting on the information, C V Raman and Bharaesh went to Chittapur on Sunday evening, raided Nagamma’s house along with the help of Chittapur CDPO Shivasharanappa and PSI Jagadevappa.
Both Nagamma and her sister Ratna planned the Gujjar marriage with the help of their husbands Bombay Gopal and Vijay Solanke. They were in touch with bridegroom Devaraj of Bojade village of Geer Somanath district of Gujarat.
Surprisingly, Nagamma and her elder sister Ratna were married to Gujjar men when they were minors.
The police arrested Devaraj, Bombay Gopal, Vijay Solanke, Nagamma, Ratna, maternal uncle Suryakant and mother Vijayalakshmi. Mahadevi, Renuka and Gopal were also arrested for assisting in performing the marriage.
The girl has been admitted to Children’s Home for Girls, Bharatesh said.