Child marriage is on the rise in Telangana, fear policemen. In the last two days alone, five ‘child brides’ were rescued, before their scheduled solemnisation in Rachakonda police commissionerate, but several cases are being reported from across the State.
Police claim that several child marriages go unnoticed, while a very few prevented by them along with officials of the Women and Child Welfare Department. On Sunday, SHE Teams of Rachakonda prevented three child marriages in Meerpet, Bommalaramaram and Bibinagar, said Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat.
On Saturday, a 16-year-old girl, who was about to get married to a car driver from Jai Kesaram in Choutuppal, was rescued. In another case, police foiled the marriage of a 14-year-old girl with a 24-year-old cabbie.
“In the last 14 months, we have rescued 51 minor girls,” Mr Bhagwat said. He said that they were also exploring legal options to bring marriage hall owners, priests, photographers and wedding card printers, to task. “Apart from parents and grooms, relatives will be punishable under Child Marriages Prohibition Act 2006,” he said.
The issue of child marriage has always been alarming and still exists on a large scale, in urban areas too, as people from districts migrate here in search of livelihood, said Hyderabad District Child Protection Officer, Imtiaz Raheem. In many cases, parents are forced to marry off their minor daughters mostly due to financial difficulties.
“In the last one year, we have prevented 31 child marriages in Hyderabad. Poverty, unemployment and security of the girls are major reasons behind such marriages,” the officer said. Balala Hakkula Sangam president Achyuta Rao alleged that fear of girls eloping with their ‘boyfriends’ was also forcing parents to perform marriages.
