BENGALURU: The District Child Helpline coordinator has filed a complaint against unknown individuals for allegedly attempting to conduct a child marriage at a mosque in Neelasandra, near Anepalya. The incident came to light when a minor girl was reportedly caught with a 20-year-old boy by their parents, after which the families allegedly decided to get them married.
The Ashok Nagar police have registered a case under the Child Marriage Restraint Act. According to the FIR, Pundalik, the child helpline coordinator, stated that on September 26 at 1 am, the 1098 helpline received an alert about the parents forcibly marrying off their 16-year-old daughter at the mosque in the presence of mosque members. Officials visited the mosque the next day. Mosque members claimed that only religious customs of the Islamic community had been performed and that no marriage had taken place. However, officials also received photos and videos showing preparations for the child marriage. The FIR noted that under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, even preparations for such a marriage constitute a punishable offense.
Meanwhile, advocate Hussain Owaisi filed a complaint with the Director General and Inspector General of Police and other senior police officials, including the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), regarding the allegations. He also named the accused allegedly involved, though the FIR did not mention any names, including those of the parents.