A family court here on Monday annulled a child marriage, with Facebook coming to the rescue of a girl who was only 12 when her wedding was solemnised seven years ago.
Both the girl and the boy were minors in 2010 when the marriage took place, a child rights activist said.
The boy’s Facebook account provided evidence that helped in proving that the couple was married, said Kriti Bharti, Managing Trustee of Saarthi Trust, a child rights non-profit organisation.
The girl had moved a petition in the court last year seeking the annulment of her marriage, said Ms. Bharti, who argued the case from the girl’s side.
Preparing for ‘gauna’
The girl’s family members had been preparing for her ‘gauna’ (sending of the bride to her in-laws) last year and had discontinued her studies, she said.
The girl, who was unable to convince her parents against the marriage, left her home in April 2016, after informing Ms. Bharti.
Ms. Bharti rescued her and accommodated her in a child home after taking her custody from the Bal Kalyan Samiti of Barmer.
The child rights activist said that after her accommodation in the child home, a petition was moved in the family court, seeking the annulment of the girl’s marriage with her husband.
“But in the court, [the husband] refused that there was solemnisation of the marriage between them and said that it was just a preparation for the engagement,” Ms. Bharti said.
Facebook helped in proving that the girl’s husband was lying in court, Ms. Bharti said.
