Marriage of 12-year-old girl prevented in Jind, families warned
A 12-year-old girl’s marriage to a 31-year-old man was prevented in Barah Khurd village just in time. The rescue took place during the wedding rituals, where officials from the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer’s (CMPO) team, NGO MDD of India and the local police intervened.
The incident occurred within less than a week of the nationwide launch of the ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ Campaign by the Women and Child Development Ministry under the Central Government.
The mismatched wedding, complete with decorations, food and rituals, was disrupted after a tip-off to the MDD of India, a coalition partner of the Just Rights for Children (JRC) alliance.
The bride’s family initially resisted but provided documents confirming the girl was only 12 years old. The groom, hailing from Karnal district, was 31 years old --nearly three times her age.
The authorities informed the families and over 50 wedding attendees, including caterers and decorators, about the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006. The Act prescribes rigorous imprisonment of up to two years and Rs 1 lakh fine for participating in or abetting child marriage.
Sunita Sharma, the District Child Marriage Prohibition Officer, stated that she received information about a child marriage. Her team immediately reached the location and stopped the wedding. Sunita explained that the marriage was stopped before it could take place and both the girl and her parents were counselled. She also mentioned that this year, she had successfully prevented nine child marriages in Jind and 10 in Kaithal. Sharma emphasised that her team responded quickly to any reports of child marriages in both districts. The girl’s parents, who are illiterate, claimed ignorance of the law but signed an undertaking to marry her only after she turned 18.
