Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a major step towards preventing child marriage, authorities intervened ahead of Akshay Tritiya to stop underage weddings at a mass marriage ceremony in Depalpur tehsil’s Bachoda village.
Despite ongoing efforts, child marriage complaints continue to surface each year. Under the direction of collector Asheesh Singh, the women and child development department acted swiftly.
District programme officer Ramniwas Budholia formed special task forces and set up a control room for early complaint registration. Information was received about underage couples participating in a mass wedding organised by the Kshatriya Nayak Samaj.
Flying squad members Mahendra Pathak, Ashish Goswami and Devendra Kumar Pathak were assigned to investigate.
Following instructions from Zila Panchayat CEO Siddharth Jain, Depalpur SDM Rakesh Mohan Tripathi and Tehsildar Lokesh Ahuja took immediate action. After continuous persuasion, the organising committee collected the age proofs of all couples.
Upon verification, 36 out of 49 couples were found underage. Their marriages were cancelled two days before the event. Only 13 couples, who met the legal age criteria, were allowed to marry.
A full team, including Patwari Vinod Sharma, project officer Anita Joshi and others, verified all age documents. Organisers also submitted an affidavit promising not to conduct underage marriages.
Officials informed priests and service providers about the Child Marriage Prohibition Act and warned of legal consequences for violations. Investigations continue into whether any cancelled couples married elsewhere; if confirmed, strict FIR action will follow.
