A team of government officials thwarted the marriage of a 14-year-old girl in Pallikaranai.
The team took action following a grievance petition by a relative of the girl’s.
Officials said Vetriselvi, of Nesapakkam, submitted a petition to L. Sitherasenan, Kancheepuram collector, claiming that her relatives were planning to get her niece, a student of class XI, married on Friday this week.
The petition was forwarded to S. Govindarajan, tahsildar, Sholinganallur and Sargunam, district social welfare officer. Along with Pallikaranai police, the team visited the girl’s house.
The girl’s mother Kavitha, a widow, was a daily wage earner and the family was living in abject poverty, the officials said.
Kavitha had heeded the suggestions of her relatives and neighbours who asked her to get her daughter married to “decrease her burden”. Some days ago, a betrothal function was held and the wedding was to be solemnised on Friday.
The officials warned Kavitha not to go ahead with the wedding and also got a statement in writing from her that she would not get her daughter married until she became a major. Officials said the girl, studying at the Government Higher Secondary School in Pallikaranai, was interested in pursuing her studies. The team left behind their contact numbers with the girl and also with her neighbours to inform them if any further attempt was made to get her married.
