Police stop marriage of 16-year-old boy in UP’s Bareilly

Bareilly (UP), December 11

Police in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh stopped the marriage of a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman, acting on a complaint from an NGO, officials said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday in the Bahedi area here. Officials from the local police station reached the wedding venue and stopped the marriage after the age certificate of the boy proved he was a minor, even as the couple were on the dais.

Inspector, Bahedi Kotwali, Pankaj Pant said police got the wedding stopped acting on a complaint from NGO Childline.

“The Childline team reached the Bahedi Kotwali in Bareilly district late on Thursday night, apprised the police there about the entire case and showed the real age certificate of the groom. The police immediately reached the venue, where bride and groom were on the dais,” the NGO’s in-charge Kusum Thakur said.

“Now both sides will have to appear before the Child Welfare Committee, and action will be taken on the direction of the committee,” Pant said.

Childline India Foundation had initially informed the Nawabganj police station about the 16-year-old boy being married to a woman four years older to him, Thakur said.

Based on that information, Kundra Koti area in-charge Suresh Pal Singh had gone to the spot but was told that the groom was a 21-year-old man, following which he left, she said.

Later, as the ‘baraat’ (wedding procession) left Nawabganj for Bahedi, the NGO followed it and informed the police there, and the ceremony was stopped.

Thakur said both sides have given in writing not to proceed with the wedding until the matter is resolved. — PTI