The officials from Women and Child Development officials stopped the marriages of two minor girls, at the last minute, on Monday morning, in Gamangetti near Hubli.
The marriages of Parameshwar and Suresh, sons of Basappa Kariappa Malagi, were arranged at Kariamma Devi Kalyana Mantap. Parameshwar was to marry a girl from Chikkamalligavada, Dharwad, and Suresh, a relative from Gamangetti.
Child Development Programme Officer for Hubli-Dharwad, Renuka Kulkarni, received an anonymous call the day before the wedding, saying the girls were aged 16 and 17 years, respectively. She raided the marriage venue in the morning with the assistance of police personnel.
Parents convinced
The officials explained to the parents that child marriage was an offence and they would invite legal action for marrying them off before they turned 18. The guests who had already arrived left after lunch.
Published 16 June 2014, 18:55 IST