Thanks to an alert by a Facebook post of a schoolgirl, the marriage of a 11-year-old girl has been averted in Mysuru.
The minor girl will be kept in the safe custody of the Women and Child Welfare Department after a complaint against her impending marriage figured on the social media page of the Bengaluru City police.
After the parents of the Mysuru girl decided on her marriage and even fixed the date, the girl’s friend put up a message on the Facebook page of Bengaluru City police with a request to stop it. Alerted by their Bengaluru counterparts, the Mysuru police swung into action and visited the address at Marballihundi in Mysuru taluk before officials of the department intervened.
Marriage cancelled
Though an inquiry by the Mysuru District Child Protection Officer revealed that the girl’s parents had cancelled the marriage scheduled for January 30, the authorities, unwilling to take any chances, decided to keep her in safe custody for now.
“The marriage had been cancelled before our intervention. But, we will keep her in safe custody in the Girls’ Home till the date of the fixed for it passes off. The girl’s parents have been directed to appear before the District Child Welfare Committee and submit an affidavit,” Mysuru District Child Protection Officer Diwakar told The Hindu.
“We have inquired with the girl. The marriage had been fixed, but she refused to get married. It was cancelled after her uncle advised her parents against the marriage as it was unlawful,” Mr. Diwakar said. The girl’s parents are agricultural labourers.
The department will keep a watch on the girl and the headmaster of her school has been instructed to ensure she attends classes regularly. Mysuru district Superintendent of Police C.B. Ryshyant said the police were planning to register an FIR against the attempted child marriage.
