MANGALURU: A team led by Sullia police and Child Development Programme Officer (CDPO) raided a house and succeeded in stopping the marriage of a minor from Mysuru, on Wednesday midnight, when the mehndi function was under way.
The marriage of a 15-year-old girl was arranged with a 26-year-old man at his house in Dugaladka Kandadka in Sullia. The CDPO received an alert about a minor’s marriage scheduled to be held on Thursday. Immediately, Sullia CDPO Rashmi Ashok, local administration officials and Sullia police rushed to the house, and stopped the wedding.
“The minor girl from Mysuru is a distant relative of the groom, and both families had agreed to the marriage. They are from a poor economic background and had no knowledge about child marriage. The girl’s family had arrived in Sullia on Wednesday evening, and had no documents to prove that the girl is a major. The officials explained the ill-effects of child marriage, and told the family that the girl could be married only after she attained the age of 18 years, as per law. Both families agreed to cancel the wedding,” Sullia tahshildar Anithalaxmi told TNIE.
CDPO Rashmi said the girl had discontinued studies at pre-university level. “The man does rubber tapping work. After counselling the family, the minor girl was taken to Mysuru. The family contacted the CDPO in Mysuru and have given in writing that their daughter’s marriage would take place with the same man once she turns 18,” she said.