HYDERABAD: An awareness campaign against child marriage by the Rachakonda police has averted the marriage of a 16-year-old girl, a student of a government school at Turkapally in Yadadri Bhongir district. Soon after the programme, girl students at the school complained to the SHE Team police about the marriage of their classmate.
On April 11, the SHE teams of Rachakonda police visited Kasturbha Gandhi Girls High School at Rampur village in Turkapally and explained to the girl students on women safety and child marriages.
Some of the 150-odd girls, who attended the programme, rushed to the SHE teams police soon after the programme and informed them about the marriage of their classmate scheduled for the following day.
A SHE team rushed to Rampur thanda along with Child Welfare Committee members and rescued the girl. The parents of the girl and the groom were bound over and produced before an executive magistrate.
In another incident at Valigonda, police rescued a 16-year-old girl, whose marriage was fixed to a 22-year-old man from Warangal. Acting on the information provided by an Anganwadi teacher, the police rushed to the house of the minor girl and rescued her. The parents of the girl and the boy were counselled and produced in a court.
In yet another incident at Sunkishala village in Valigonda, police foiled the scheduled marriage of a first-year Intermediate girl student who was betrothed to her maternal relative. The parents of the girl and the man were produced in the court.
Rachakonda police commissioner MM Bhagwat said, “Whoever permits, allows, performs or attends a child marriage shall be convicted by the courts and sentenced to two years of imprisonment and a fine of ` 1 lakh. Any information about child marriages can be passed on to the police by calling on phone number ‘100’ or WhatsApp on 9490617111.”