Timely intervention by officials helped stop two child marriages in Afzalpur taluk in Kalaburagi district on Wednesday evening.
The Child Welfare Committee and the Childline received information about the wedding ceremony slated for Thursday between a 16-year-old girl from Shah Bazaar locality in Kalaburagi with a boy of the same age from Afzalpur taluk in the district. In the other case, a 16-year-old from Indi taluk in Vijayapura district was engaged to a 20-year-old youth from Afzalpur.
Both the marriages were scheduled to be held on Thursday.
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A team comprising officials from the District Child Protection Unit, the District Child Welfare Committee and the Childline visited the brides’ residences on Wednesday evening and counselled parents of both the girls about the consequences of violating Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006.
Child Welfare Committee member Vittal Chikkani said that the team advised both the brides’ parents to hold their marriages only after the girls completed 18 years of age. Written statements were obtained from the parents of both the girls stating that they would not continue with the marriage proposal for now.