Officials of Childline and Social Welfare Department have rescued two prospective child brides after stopping their marriages with the help of anti-human trafficking wing and local police in the district on Sunday.
On being alerted through Childline Helpline ‘1098’, officials visited Vannivayal in Nainarkoil block and stopped the marriage of a 16-year-old girl, who had just passed plus two examinations with a 36-year-old man.
The girl was in full bridal make up and was ready for the wedding when the officials and police intervened and rescued her, M. Anandaraj, Childline coordinator, said.
The groom – S Prabu, who is employed in a foreign country, had come on leave for the marriage.
There was not much resistance when the officials asked the parents to stop the marriage and explained about the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and the danger of arrest if they went ahead with the marriage, he said.
The bride was produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) here and handed over to her parents after counselling.
In another incident in Rameswaram, a 16-year-old girl, who had just passed plus two examinations was to be married to M Karuppasamy (27) from Kadaladi when the officials rescued the girl after stopping the marriage.
In this case, the officials, on learning the marriage was scheduled for Sunday, had visited the girl’s parents, a couple of days ago and obtained a written undertaking that they would not conduct the marriage.
However, the parents had arranged the marriage, trying to hoodwink the officials, it was said.
The parents of the girl and the man tried to discreetly conduct the marriage in the pretext of doing ‘sadangu’ (ritual) but the officials on being alerted by a caller, stopped the marriage.
The girl who had scored 998 out of 1,200 marks in the plus two examinations was forced into the marriage, officials said.
She was produced before the Child Welfare Committee and admitted in the government home, officials said adding she would be helped to continue her studies.
Tirunelveli
Two incidents of child marriage have been prevented in a joint operation by District Child Protection Unit at various locations in the district on Sunday.
Based on a tipoff, a team comprising officials from the DCPU, District Social Welfare Department and Department of Police thwarted the attempt of M. Kanagadurai (22), a casual worker from Vasudevanallur, who was about to marry a 17-year-old girl of Vellalankuttai at a place near Puliyangudi, District Child Protection officer, B.S. Dev Ananth said.
In yet another incident, the team foiled the bid of Sakthivel (22) of South Kadayam, who attempted to tie the knot on a 17-year-old girl of Sivasailam near Alwarkurichi.
The incident was thwarted, he said.
