2 families booked for child marriage

BAREILLY: The Bareilly police have registered a case of child marriage against two couples for marrying off their 10-year -old daughter and 12-year-old son in Inayatpur village under Faridpur police circle on Wednesday. The police registered the case here on Saturday after the issue was brought to its notice by the child welfare committee

The parents of both the boy and the girl have been booked under Section 11 (promoting or permitting solemnization of child marriage) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

According to reports, children’s parents claimed that they only conducted three-and-a-half ‘pheras’ and would complete the remaining after the girl turned 18 and the boy 21.

Police said both families were related and belonged to the Valmiki

community. The fathers of both children work as labourers.

Abhimanyu Manglik, ASP and in charge of Faridpur police station, said: “The families claimed that as the boy’s grandmother is severely ill, they conducted a few rituals in accordance with her last wish.

We have lodged an FIR against the parents of the girl and the boy. We are investigating the matter.”

District probation officer Neeta Ahirwar said: “We have sent a team of Childline to investigate the matter and they will be counselling the parents. The families have been asked to appear before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) with proper documents.

“The girl and her father appeared before the CWC on Friday but they came without any documents.” These include age proof of the children and an affidavit.