A 23-year-old man was arrested in the district on the charge of marrying a minor girl at Kannanur village in Jambunathapuram police station limits on Sunday.
Besides arresting V. Rajesh Kumar, the police also held his father P. Velusamy (45) and the minor girl’s father P. Andi (50).
Official sources said information regarding the minor girl’s wedding came to the District Social Welfare Officer and was immediately conveyed to the field - level official.
The Thathiengarpet Block Extension Officer of the Social Welfare Department rushed to the girl’s house in a bid to stop the wedding. Nevertheless, the girl was already sent to the boy’s house at Kannanur a day before.
The official along with a Child Line representative then went in search of the girl to Kannanur village upon checking the wedding invitation.
However, Rajesh Kumar had reportedly tied the ‘thaali’ on the minor girl at a community hall by the time the official reached the spot, official sources said.
The official conducted inquiries with the girl, the boy and his parents. It came to light that the girl was 15-year-old and had written the SSLC examination conducted a few months ago.
The girl’s father was a construction labourer. Rajesh Kumar worked in a textile unit at Tiruppur.
An official said the girl’s parents decided to marry off their minor daughter after the boy came forward to marry the girl without any expectations.
On a complaint from Ms. Bhanumathi, the Block Extension Officer, the Jambunathapuram police registered a case against the boy and his parents as well as the girl’s parents.
The case was booked under sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Prevention of Child Marriage Act, 2006. The minor girl was later sent to the Child home at Tiruchi.
