Hyderabad: The parents of 16-year-old Divya (name changed) showed her jathakam or horoscope to a priest near the Yadadri temple. Her horoscope matched with that of a man twice her age, and the marriage was scheduled. The police got wind of the illegal child marriage, prevented it and bound the parents over before a magistrate not to commit the crime again.
Using informers of all kinds, the Rachakonda SHE teams have averted 65 child marriages.
Temple priests, Angawadi teachers, fellow villagers, Child line and Child Welfare Committee, and fellow students have provided information to the police about impending child marriages.
In some cases, the arrival of the police at a wedding has led to attacks on them by guests and family of the couple. To avoid such incidents, the crack-down is done a day before the marriage.
In an incident reported in Sunkishala-Valigonda, a group of elderly persons in the village tipped off the police about the marriage of a 16-year-old minor being married off to a 23-year-old man. The Choutuppal She-team went to the house of the girl days before the marriage and found enough evidence of the intended crime to bind over the parents before the executive magistrate.
The school management played a crucial role in exposing a child marriage. The Ibrahim-patnam She team were informed by the management of a private school in Turkayamjal village that a 10th class student, 15 years old, was to marry a 24-year-old. The girl had stopped coming to school which alerted the school management. The marriage was cancelled.
Despite having a law that prohibits child marriages, they are a reality in many parts of the country. Child marriages account for 27 per cent of marriages in India, The incidence of child marriage is higher amongst the socially, economically and educationally backward sections.
According to Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat, “Wha-tever the reasons may be, one cannot overlook the crippling effect that child marriages have on the overall growth of the child. There is a fear of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Her nutrition, education, employability, confidence all take a beating in an alien household. There are high chances of death during pregnancy for minor girls, and it also has a huge impact on the baby.”
He said that if the parents assure the police they will not commit the crime again, they are left off with counselling, but they can also be booked.
They are cases where the rescued girl has gone on to do wonderful things. One such is Anusha from Saroor Nagar, who has represented the state in women’s cricket. She was awarded `10,000 as a reward from the commissionerate.
