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111 booked in Unnao after minor girl made to marry instead of her sister
Though the elder sister subsequently returned, before the scheduled marriage but the youth who works in Gujarat refused to marry her. After this the 13-year-old minor was asked to step in and marry the man on December 13, police confirmed.
About 111 people were booked in Unnao following the marriage of a minor girl to a 22-year-old man, after her elder sister with whom the man’s wedding was settled, eloped.
Though the elder sister subsequently returned, before the scheduled marriage but the youth who works in Gujarat refused to marry her. After this the 13-year-old minor was asked to step in and marry the man on December 13, police confirmed.
Circle officer, Safipur, Rishikant Shukla said the police were gathering the videos and photographs of the marriage.
“The FIR has been registered on Raj Kumari’s complaint against people from side of both the bride and the groom,” he said. The officer said that people who were present for the controversial and illegal wedding were being identified.
The action is being taken under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, which forbids marriage of anyone below 18 years, and Juvenile Justice (care and protection act), police said.
The district child welfare committee inquired into this case on a complaint by social activist Raj Kumari who has since also registered an FIR on the issue.
A total of 111 people had been booked by Tuesday, police said. These included the priest who solemnised the marriage as well as those who attended the marriage.
In her complaint Rajkumari said she learnt from people about the child marriage in the village after a complaint was made to Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairperson Preeti Singh.
Singh sent child protection officer Sanjay Mishra and two others to investigate. However, police said that minor girl’s family on December 14 attempted to mislead the investigators by claiming that the minor girl was in-fact the elder one.
Family members allegedly told the team that the ‘jaimaal (the process of exchanging garlands)’ was performed outside the house. However, when the minor girl was produced before the committee, she admitted that she was indeed the younger one. Subsequently, Raj Kumari’s complaint was sent to Sadar Kotwali, which registered an FIR against the groom Rinku Pal, his father Badri Pal, friend Mahesh, priest Anurag Awasthi and others.
