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Officials Attacked Foiling Child Marriage
6 Mar
Summary
- Officials were assaulted while preventing a child marriage in Kendrapada.
- A 16-year-old girl was to marry a 40-year-old man due to poverty.
- Assailants face charges under the BNS for attacking government officials.
Four government officials sustained injuries on Thursday evening when relatives of a bride and groom attacked them. The incident occurred in Kendrapada district as officials attempted to halt a child marriage at Sakhibata. Upon arrival, authorities requested birth certificates, but were met with aggression from family members.
A case has been filed at Kudanagari police station against multiple individuals under relevant sections of the BNS for assaulting the officials, including Child Helpline coordinator Saina Parida. Police confirmed an investigation is ongoing and arrests are imminent.
The thwarted marriage involved a 16-year-old girl from a village under Kudanagari police station limits, whose father cited extreme poverty as the reason for agreeing to her union with a 40-year-old man from Srutipur. The groom fled the scene.
Officials emphasized that marrying a boy under 21 or a girl under 18 is an offense under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, punishable by two years of rigorous imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1 lakh, or both. Social workers highlighted that child marriage, whether driven by financial or social pressure, deprives children of their right to education and a normal childhood.
