A wedding reception had an unexpected twist as a team of police officials gatecrashed the ceremony and stopped a child marriage being solemnised at the Venkatadri Kalyana Mantap, C.K. Achhukattu on Wednesday night.
The police team and activists from BOSCO rescued the 15-year-old girl who was about to get married to her 27-year-old relative, after they received a call on their child helpline ‘1098’ from the girl’s neighbours on Wednesday afternoon.
The reception was almost getting over when the activists and the police reached the kalyana mantap. They spoke to the bride and checked the documents only to find that she had just completed class 10, and was 15 year old.
According to the child helpline team, the girl was in love with the man with whom she was about to get married, and that it was she who had forced her parents to arrange her marriage with Mahesh (27), who was also her relative from her maternal side. Mahesh was a resident of C.K. Achhukattu while the girl is from Shankarapura in Chamarajpet. “The marriage was about to be solemnised on Thursday, but fortunately it was averted,” said Jennifer C., senior member of BOSCO helpline . “The minor girl has been brought to Bosco Mane in Chamarajpet and she will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee on Friday,” added Ms. Jennifer.
“As the wedding was averted, no formal complaint was lodged with the police and the CWC will talk to the minor’s parents and the boy’s side, and counsel them and proceed in the best interests of the minor girl convincing her to wait until she turns 18 to be legally married,” said Ms. Jennifer.
