Child marriage of minor girl stopped in Karanja (Ghadge) taluka of Wardha
Officials stopped the planned marriage of a minor girl from Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district to a 24-year-old man in a Karanja (Ghadge) village on October 3.
The marriage of a minor girl was about to take place in a village in Karanja (Ghadge) taluka. Vigilance by the administration and prompt action stopped it. The action was taken on October 3.
According to the information received, the girl, from Dharna in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh, had been engaged to a 24-year-old man from Karanja (Gha.) taluka. The first, incomplete information about the child marriage came from a caller to Childline 1098, the toll-free number of the Women and Child Development Department.
On receiving the information, immediate coordination was set up with Navnath Munde, a police employee in the anti-human trafficking unit of the local crime branch, and the venue of the wedding was traced. A joint team then left for the spot at once under the guidance of District Women and Child Development Officer Trupti Chavan.
The team included members of the District Child Protection Unit, Childline, the police department and the local administration. Childline project coordinator Ashish Modak and his colleagues counselled both families. They were told about the physical and mental harm of child marriage and its legal risks. When it was made clear that child marriage is a serious and punishable offence under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the families agreed to call off the wedding. A written statement from the parents agreeing to stop the marriage was also taken.
Extension officer Sahebrao Khandar, Sarwadi sarpanch Sangeeta Gohte, sub-inspector Manoj Shende, protection officers Nitin Jugnake and Rameshwar Rathod were present during the action. Also present were anganwadi worker and assistant child marriage prohibition officer Nirmala Chopde, police patil Prathamesh Birgade, and Childline's Jayashri Nival, Purushottam Kamble, Santosh Done and Vaibhav Bhandakkar.
Under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the parents have been directed, with the girl's education and safety given priority, to produce her before the Child Welfare Committee, Wardha. The committee will take the necessary further legal and rehabilitation steps. The entire operation was completed in coordination with District Women and Child Development Officer Trupti Chavan, District Child Protection Officer Mahesh Kamdi and project coordinator Ashish Modak.
The administration has appealed: "Do not put your children's future at risk by marrying them off as children. Child marriage is an offence in the eyes of the law and has a serious effect on children's health and education. If you see a child marriage taking place anywhere, contact the toll-free number 1098 immediately."
Trupti Chavan, District Women and Child Development Officer, Wardha, said that awareness programmes for child-marriage-free gram panchayats were run on a large scale on October 2, and that the administration is committed to preventing child marriages.
