Police foil three child marriage bids in Telangana

DHNS

Hyderabad, 15 Apr 2017: An awareness programme for girl students conducted by police has resulted in saving of three innocent minor girls from getting married against their wishes.

 

Girl students who have attended the awareness programme on child marriages at the Kasturba Gandhi girls High School in Rampur under Rachakonda Police Commissionerate on 11 April, have met the organizers after the programme and informed about the proposed forceful marriages of their classmates leading to successful raids.

 

The women specific police force called ’SHE Team’ has stopped three child marriages on a single day on 12 April. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Choutuppal office, a team rushed to Rampur Tanda of Bhongir and collected age proof of the would be bride and wedding card. After confirming that the girl was just 16 years old the information was passed on to the CWC member Bhongir. The parents were given counseling and were binded over before the executive Magistrate.

 

Based on information given by an Anganwadi teacher of Puligirla village who attended the programme, SHE Team, visited the house of the 16 year old girl all set for marriage with a 22 year boy from Warangal. The parents were then produced before the Choutuppal ACP. The child marriage was cancelled.

 

In yet another case, SHE Team which got wind of yet another child marriage in Sunkishala of Valigonda in the district reached the village and stopped the marriage. A 16 year old was scheduled to get married to a 23 year old maternal uncle. Parents on both sides were binded over before Magistrate.

 

“Performing marriage below the stipulated age is a crime,” said Mahesh M Bhagawat, Commissioner of Police Rachakonda said in a statement. He warned that priests, wedding card printers, elders and supporters of such child marriages will be held responsible. Organizing a child marriage attracts two years of imprisonment and fine up to Rs 10,000.