NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commission for Woman (DCW) on Thursday rescued a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly being forced to marry and convert to another religion by her family in the Jahangirpuri area of the national capital. According to DCW members, the Commission received a complaint from an unknown person who informed it of the marriage and also stated that the girl was also going to be forced to convert to another religion.
“Upon receiving the complaint, the Commission activated its local ground team to gather more information. The team discretely surveyed the area for two days and was able to extract all the information and exact timing of the marriage ceremony,” said a DCW member. After getting confirmation and details, DCW Chief Swati Maliwal along with members Kiran Negi, Firdaus Khan and senior Delhi Police officials reached the spot on Thursday at around 1 pm.
According to the DCW member, the team found that the girl was about to be married off and was surrounded by relatives. She also had henna on her hands. The girl informed them that she is 15 years old. “Her mother also confirmed the same. She was born in 2005. The girl was then counselled and rescued from the spot,” they said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has registered a complaint against the minor’s parents and others present at the ceremony. The girl’s statement has been recorded and further investigation is going on. The 15-year-old will be presented before the Child Welfare Committee for further course of action. The girl comes from a very poor background and the Commission will now work on her rehabilitation, said the Commission members.
“It is very sad that we are still witnessing child marriages in the country. We need to punish those people who are snatching the childhood of these young girls. Taking immediate cognisance, my team and I reached the spot and rescued the girl,” said Maliwal. “We have rescued thousands of minor girls from being married off. We will keep working for the people of the national capital and try our best to safeguard the rights of our girls,” the DCW chief added.