HC summons khap members in child marriage case

THE GIRL’S FATHER HAD AGREED TO MARRY HER WITH A 37YEAROLD MAN UNDER THE KHAP’S PRESSURE AFTER THE PANCHAYAT PROMISED THAT HE WILL BE ALLOWED TO KEEP HER UNTIL SHE TURNS 18

The Jodhpur high court, taking suo moto cognizance on a petition, summoned 24 panchayat members of Barmer for allegedly forcing a man to pay ₹2,500,000 to them and sending his daughter to a 37-year-old man she was forcefully married to as a child.

A division bench comprising justices GR Moolchandani and Gopal Krishan Vyas ordered the police to issue summons to the 24 members asking them to be present in court on April 27.

The court also ordered the police to provide security to the complainant, the girl’s father, and expected that the police will investigate the case on the basis of the girl’s statement recorded before a magistrate earlier.

The girl’s father had written a letter to the high court telling it that he had agreed to get his 17-year-old daughter married with a 37-year-old man in April 2015 under the khap’s pressure after the panchayat promised that he will be allowed to keep her with him until she turns 18.

However, later the khap began pressuring him to send her to her husband’s house. The khap sought ₹5 lakh from him as penalty and ostracized him when he refused to send his daughter to her in-laws’ house.

The girl’s father told the court on April 24 that he had filed a case against the khap on February 6, 2016, for threatening to slap a ₹25 lakh fine on him and ostracisation from community. The case was resolved outside court and the police closed the case despite the girl’s statement before a magistrate (under section 164 of the CrPC).

The father wrote to the high court on April 11, 2017.