4 child marriages thwarted in Dakshina Kannada during lockdown

The timely intervention of Women and Child Development Department officials prevented as many as four child marriages during the Covid-19 induced lockdown in Dakshina Kannada district.

Three child marriages were prevented in June and one in July during this year, sources told DH.

Officials are collecting information about a child marriage that reportedly took place recently in the district.

Parents had finalised weddings of their daughters by cashing in on the lockdown. Officials, acting on a tip-off, stalled the marriages and rescued the minors.

As schools were shut down due to lockdown, parents had decided this as an apt time to solemnise the marriages.

Officials cited an instance where a minor girl’s marriage was fixed with a youth from neighbouring Kadaba village. Acting on a tip-off, officials visited the house and warned parents against going ahead with the marriage.

The minor's parents, determined to conduct the marriage, made the priest believe that officials had paid a visit to ensure minimal gathering of people. The priest believing them had begun arrangements for marriage. But, officials returned with police and ended the marriage.

The officials obtained affidavits from parents, declaring that they will not conduct the marriage of their daughter until she reached the age of 18. Parents were also warned of stringent punishment if they got their daughters married before the legal marriageable age.

"Sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, have provisions for punishment. The court may sentence the guilty and slap a fine upto Rs 1 lakh," officials stated.

In another incident, a marriage was conducted secretly. "Officials are verifying the documents. If the girl is found to be a minor, then strict action will be taken under various sections of the law," said officials.

"When compared to other districts, child marriage cases are less in Dakshina Kannada," Women and Child Development Department Deputy Director Usman said.

He told DH that officials were highly alert in preventing marriages during the lockdown.

In 2019, the officials had thwarted three each child marriages in the month of April and August, while one marriage had taken place in the month of August.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said, “Stringent action will be initiated against the parents if a girl is married even before she had attained the legal marriageable age. Cases will be booked against parents, marriage hall heads, printing presses that had printed invitations and religious heads who solemnised the ritual.”