Chennai, April 26 (BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare department and police are on high alert over child marriages that are taking place in the state. While there were high incidences of child marriages during the lockdown period, the recent incident of a 40-year-old man trying to marry a 14-year-old girl has upped the ante of the social welfare and police departments.
Acting on a tip-off, Childline officials of Vellore district along with Police and revenue officials rescued a 14-year-old girl who was to be married to a 40-year-old distant relative who was entering into his third marriage. The marriage was to be solemnized at a local temple on Monday morning but the marriage was foiled Police took the groom into custody and the girl was handed over to the District Childline authorities in Vellore district.
The victim had dropped out of school from Class VII and was living with her mother after her father passed away. The 40-year-old man was from Andhra Pradesh and a distant relative of the girl who had married twice earlier.
In another incident, a 17-year-old girl was rescued by Police and Childline authorities in the Myladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu.
ChildLine Vellore district coordinator, K.S. Devendiran while speaking to BPNS said, “ We got reliable information and we scuttled the marriage of the minor girl which was forced on her. However, after this incident, we are on a high alert in the district and have alerted all school authorities on whether there is any drop in girl children reaching schools. We are also in touch with the Resident associations, social organizations, political parties to inform the childline and police on whether any child marriages are taking place in their localities.”
State police are also on an alert to prevent any incidences of child marriages. The state government which is trying to bring in several developments ever since the DMK assumed office, is red-faced over the incidences of Child marriages being reported in the state.
Sources told BPNS that the state DGP was directed by Chief Minister to get tips from across the state using the intelligence agencies on whether child marriages are taking place in Tamil Nadu.
