A sharp intervention by the Prohibition of Child Marriage Officer's team in Karsindhu village of Jind district successfully prevented three minors from being forced into early matrimony. Acting swiftly on a confidential tip-off, the authorities raided the wedding venue, halted the proceedings, and sternly warned the families against violating the law. Faced with strict administrative oversight, the relatives eventually provided a written undertaking to solemnize the marriages only after the children attain legal adulthood, forcing the visiting wedding procession to return empty-handed.
How the tip-off triggered the swift administrative raid
The Child Marriage Prohibition Office received secret intelligence indicating that two underage girls were about to be married in Karsindhu village, with a wedding party scheduled to arrive from Mirzapur village in Hisar district. Reacting immediately, a joint team comprising Ravi Lohan, women police personnel Arti, Ritu, Neelam, Suresh, Deepak, Vinod, along with Narendra Sharma who serves as the district coordinator for Just Rights for Children and MDD of India, and VAC Manish rushed directly to the ongoing wedding site.
Extended document verification exposes underage minors
Upon arriving at the venue, the team demanded birth-related documents and age proofs from the family members. Initially, the relatives attempted to deflect the questions and insisted that the brides were of legal age. However, after officials warned them of severe legal consequences, a thorough examination lasting nearly three hours revealed that both brides were under 18 years of age. Subsequent verification of the grooms' birth records showed that one of the grooms was also under the legal threshold of 21 years.
Illiteracy cited as families explain their hasty decision
During the interactions, the relatives defended their actions by claiming that the parents of both girls are unlettered and completely unaware of statutory laws regarding age, adding that they rushed the ceremonies to save on wedding expenses. Officials carefully counseled the families, explaining that since all three individuals are minors, waiting until they reach adulthood avoids legal hurdles and ensures eligibility for various government welfare schemes. They were explicitly warned that proceeding with underage marriages would invite stringent legal action against everyone involved.
Written undertaking given as the procession departs without brides
Realizing the gravity of the situation, both families agreed to comply and officially suspended the weddings. The relatives submitted formal written statements to the Women Protection and Child Marriage Prohibition Department, promising to uphold the law and arrange marriages only after the children become adults. Following this resolution, the wedding party that had traveled from Mirzapur was forced to return without the brides.
