Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Due to extreme poverty and a father’s alcoholism, a family attempted to marry off their 13-year-old daughter, leading to a police intervention. The police detained the girl's mother, the groom Viju Ghule, her uncle Vijendra Dhillod, and her aunt Sonali Jadhav. A case has been registered at the Kranti Chowk police station.
Police constables Sunil Gaikwad and Tukaram Rathod received an anonymous tip via the 112 helpline about a child marriage in Banjara Colony on Thursday at 5pm. Upon arriving at the location, they found the ceremony had already taken place on the third floor, with the girl wearing a necklace and mangalsutra. The relatives gave evasive answers and could not provide proof of the children’s ages, leading the police to take all involved relatives into custody and bring them to the Kranti Chowk police station.
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Adhaar card used as proof, but invalid
The family presented the girl's Aadhaar card, claiming she was 18, but the card did not confirm her age, leading police to file a case. Viju, the 20-year-old groom, was also named as an accused. The girl's father, an alcoholic, and her mother, who works various jobs to support the family, had agreed to the marriage after receiving a proposal from acquaintances. The girl who had only completed second grade and Viju went ahead with the wedding.
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Marriage officiant also accused
The person who officiated the wedding has also been named as an accomplice, bringing the total number of people charged to six under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (Sections 10, 11, and 29). PSI Atmaram Ghuge is leading the investigation.