MADURAI: Four persons have been booked by Usilampatti All Women Police Station officials for attempting to conduct engagement for a minor girl with a 29-year-old man in Usilampatti on Monday. The case was registered against the girl’s parents K Malaiyandi and Valarmathi of Vellaimalaipatti and bridegroom’s parents M Ganeshan and Kodiyammal of S Puthupatti under Sections 9 and 10 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
Malaiyandi and Valarmathi have four girl children and had married off the eldest one. The victim is their second daughter. They planned to marry her off to one Premkumar. Even as both families were together at the girl’s house for the engagement, the officials from the police and social welfare departments rushed to the spot and prevented the engagement. Sources said Premkumar was in Coimbatore during the incident and that he was not booked as he was “unaware of the engagement”.