Elopement of minor girls on rise in state
BOX
Year Cases (per month)
2019 30
2020 31.4
2021 38.4*
*Till July
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Bhartesh Singh Thakur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 10
For about three years, Meetu (name changed) has been waiting at a child care institution (CCI) in Sonepat to turn 18 years of age and get married to her lover.
The boy is from a different caste, so they had eloped. Later, the police found them after the girls’ parents complained.
The boy was arrested for “abducting” a minor as per law. Meetu was sent to a CCI as she refused to go with her parents.
Presently, the boy is out on bail. Coming November, Meetu would turn 18, the legal age for a girl to get married.
“During these three years, we could only meet during hearings of his trial. I will marry him. He too has promised to marry me,” she says, in a feeble voice, during her counselling session.
The CCIs forbid all kinds of communication between a runaway girl and her lover.
“Once a boy flees with a minor girl, the police rescue the girl on the parents’ complaint. Usually, the boy faces a case for abduction, procuration of minor or rape too if the girl reports about sexual intercourse or there is evidence like pregnancy. He could get life imprisonment too,” said advocate Manbir Rathi, who deals in such cases.
“The police rescue the girls following registration of FIR of kidnapping. And if she is a minor, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act is invoked in the FIR based on the allegations contained in the complaint,” said ADGP, Crime Against Women, Kala Ramachandran.
As per the police data, there were 360 cases of abduction of minor girls in 2019 with rape, which comes to 30 per month. Faridabad with 49 cases and Gurugram with 44 lead among the districts.
Such cases rose by 4.7 per cent to 377 (31.4 per month) in 2020 despite it being the Covid year. Again, Faridabad (49) and Gurugram (38) reported the maximum cases.
Till July this year, 269 such cases have been registered, with 38.4 incidents per month. Faridabad (25) leads, followed by Hisar (22).
Earlier, the age of consent was 16 years under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code. But the POCSO Act, 2012, and the criminal law amendment in 2013 enhanced it to 18 years.
“More and more runaway minor girls in Haryana are opting to stay at shelter homes rather than going back to their parents after the police rescue them. They fear being ostracised and could face violence too,” said Chairperson, Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR), Jyoti Bainda.
According to HSCPCR, in 2019 and 2020 (data maintained jointly for two years), there were 491 runaway minor girls (20.5 per month) who initially refused to go with their parents. This year, till July 31, there were 303 such minor girls, which comes to 43.3 per month.
The highest number of cases this year were reported at Karnal CCIs (66), followed by Panipat (57).
At a Gurugram CCI, Rani (17) (name changed), who is five-month pregnant, is waiting for June next year to turn 18. Her 21-year-old boyfriend is in jail. “I didn’t go with my parents as they were pressing for an abortion. Next year in June, I will turn 18 and will marry him,” she says during her counselling.
“The boys have to suffer in jail. There are cases where in cases of pregnant girls, both families get ready for marriage but there is no escape for the boy from the law,” said Upasana Sachadeva, member, Child Welfare Committee, Gurugram.
