Child Welfare Committee foils minor girl’s marriage

In a joint operation, the Child Welfare Committee, Child Helpline, and local police successfully prevented the marriage of a minor girl in Chak 4Z village near Sriganganagar. The Child Helpline had received a tip-off that a child marriage was being arranged by members of the Sikh community in the village.

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Assistant SP Dinesh Kumar, Circle Officer Arun Kumar, Tehsildar Radhey Shyam Sharma, and Inspector Satyendra Kumar arrived at the scene with a police team. When they reached the village, the wedding ceremony was already underway. The baratis had arrived, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was taking place, and songs were being sung. Relatives and close friends were enjoying food and dancing to the tunes of the DJ.

Upon questioning the family, the team requested proof that the girl had reached the legal marriageable age of 18. The girl’s parents presented her Aadhaar card, which listed her birthdate as August 28, 2010, revealing that she was not yet of marriageable age. The team then made it clear that the girl could not be married until she reached the age of 18, and required the signatures of the family and relatives to confirm their understanding.

When the groom’s age was checked, it was found that he was 24 years old. The authorities made it clear that the family could not proceed with the marriage, even if they tried to change the location or time of the ceremony. To ensure compliance, the Child Welfare Committee and police deployed Anganwadi workers and officers to monitor the situation closely. They were also instructed to immediately report any developments to the Child Welfare Committee or the Childline toll-free number, 1098.

During the operation, the halwai (sweet maker) and the photographer were given a briefing on the legal aspects of child marriage. Meanwhile, the granthi (priest) who had come to perform the Anand Karaj fled the scene.