Indore: 7 of family booked for marrying off minor to a man twice her age

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In order to get their daughter married early, the family of a 15-year-old girl married her off to a man who was twice her age. An investigation was carried out on the same day when the girl informed Childline about her miserable condition, saying that she had been forcibly kept her captive in the house by her in- laws for four months.

A case has been registered against seven people under the prohibition of Child Marriage Act and for forging the documents.

Mahendra Pathak, Childline squad-in-charge, said, “The girl was married to a man twice her age on May 4 in Dhanodiya village. She was only 15 years old at the time of marriage. According to complaints, she was forced into matrimony by her grandmother, aunt and brothers. Her in-laws created a forged voter’s ID card on the basis of an affidavit stating that she was 18 years old.”

The girl was married against her will and is currently under the supervision of the Child Welfare Committee. An FIR has been lodged against the seven accused, including Darbar Singh, who married the girl, his father, mother and relatives. In a brief investigation by the Palasia police it was revealed that the girl was born in 2007 according to her original Aadhar card and birth certificate.

According to the instructions of collector Ilaya Raja T, a campaign is being run in the district to prevent child marriage. The team constituted by the district programme officer of the Women and Child Development department, Ramnivas Budholia, took immediate action on the basis of the information.

The accused will also be arrested and presented before the court. Pathak said, “Apart from registering the case under sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Act, the accused will also be facing charges for having sex with a minor girl, forcibly keeping her in his house and assaulting her.” According to him, action would be taken against all those who were part of the wedding ceremony, including the priest who performed the rituals.