Victim of child marriage fails to get justice, goes into depression

JODHPUR: The diary of a teenage girl, who is fighting for annulment of her marriage with a 55-year-old man, revealed that she has been suffering from depression and was willing to end her life after failing to get justice within a year.

After getting hold of the girl’s diary, an NGO, Saarthi, which has filed the child marriage annulment case before Family Court-1 here, has written a letter to the President of India, Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of Rajasthan seeking speedy trial of the case.

Bhawanti, a 16-year-old girl from Ajmer, was married to 55-year-old Ram Chandra of Jaisalmer on February 17, 2012, by her grandfather.

The girl and her parents opposed the marriage and denied to accompany the bridegroom. Since then Bhawanti has been on the run. They filed the child marriage annulment case before Family Court-1 in Jodhpur on November 25 last year with the help of NGO Saarthi. This case is still pending before the court.

“Delay in deciding the case has depressed the girl and she has expressed wish to end her life in her diary,” Kriti Bharti, managing trustee of Saarthi, mentioned in the letter dispatched to the President and CJI. Further, copies of the letter have also been sent to the prime minister, Supreme Court judges, Chief Justice of Rajasthan high court, human right commission, women commission, among others.

“We are seeking speedy trial of the child marriage annulment case,” Bharti said. According to her, Bhawanti’s mother has provided a diary written by her, in which she has expressed her pain and grief. Pages of the diary have also been attached with the letter.

Bhawanti had alleged that her grandfather Lal Chand after taking `2 lakh from the bridegroom forcefully married her with Ram Chandra, who is a father of five.