BENGALURU: The Urban The marriage of a 16-year-old minor girl to a 33-year-old man was stopped in the city by the Urban District Child Protection Office. The officials said the girl’s family had fixed her wedding for May 11 at Poornima Mahal in the Chandra Layout police limits.
The family emotionally coerced and convinced the girl to get into the wedlock as her mother’s kidneys have failed and she is on dialysis. The officials said she informed her boyfriend, who alerted a Kannada outfit, and tipped off the Child Protection Department.
The officials rushed to her house on May 7 and got the undertaking from the family that they will cancel the marriage.
“The girl would have been married had the department not stepped in. The staff rushed to the home near Nagarabhavi and educated the family about the Child Marriage Act and the consequences the family could face.
We also educated that child marriage could lead to health complications and emotional discord between the couple due to age difference,” said Asha HK, District Child Protection Officer, Kengeri Division, Bengaluru Urban District. The groom may face action under the Child Marriage Act for agreeing to marry a minor.
The officer said that the mother of the child was emotionally charged as the wedding hall was booked and all the preparations were made. “The woman threatened to kill herself as staff informed the family about taking the child under custody. The staff then got an undertaking signed by father Lokesh R, stating that the family would cancel the marriage and wait till the girl attains the legal age for marriage.
They must also appear before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) next week.
To make sure the child is safe, the jurisdictional police will visit her home every day till the family appears before the CWC,” said the officer. The department official said some activists who alerted the department about the child marriage are reportedly receiving threat calls and they were told to file a police complaint.
