TRS man supports child marriage

Hyderabad: An FIR has been filed in the Alair Police station in Yadadri Bhongir district against Gongidi Mahender Reddy, husband of TRS MLA Sunitha Reddy, for threatening Ms K. Surya Kala, a lady officer working as supervisor with the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), while she was rescuing a 15-year-old girl from child marriage.

The officer had averted a child marriage on Sunday, after information was received from a random person who called ‘100 helpline’, which call was then forwarded to the ICDS. The lady officer, Ms Kala, had taken the child to a police station and filed a complaint under Section 10 and 11 of the Child Marri-ages Prevention Act.

However, the lady officer said that the “police were reluctant to lodge a complaint” and “questioned the need for such a complaint since the marriage had already been averted.”

Meanwhile, a stranger who arrived at the scene, started shouting loudly and threatened the lady officer, asking her how she dared to stop the marriage. The officer questioned him back, asking him how he was related to the bride’s family. When he revealed he was not a relative, the officer told him not to interfere and leave. Soon after, Ms. Surya Kala received a call from an unknown number. The called, stating that he was G. Mahender Reddy, husband of G. Sunitha Reddy, the TRS MLA, told her threateningly “not to interfere in marriage issue.”

The TRS leader also told the lady official that he had “already settled the issue with the CI, the DSP and other higher officials”. He “asked her to mind her own business” and leave the issue there.

However, when contacted, officials of the Alair police station alleged that it was the lady officer who had delayed the process and that they have filed an FIR on both cases.

While the lady officer said the FIR was filed only at the end of the day after lot of struggle and discussion with the police, she received an acknowledgement copy at 12.09 am on Monday.  

But the delayed FIR was filed on both issues — the child marriage and complaint for threatening an officer on duty. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Ms Kala said, “While a campaign is going on regarding Zero FIR, police are not ready to take a complaint even from a government officer working in the women and child department. It was only after much struggle that the complaint was taken up. I am wondering about the situation of women who come from a normal household. How can safety be assured to women in such situations?” No senior TRS leader responded to queries on the issue.