How a phone call helped prevent minor’s marriage in Bengaluru
Officials in Bengaluru stopped the marriage of a 16-year-old girl to a man double her age after her boyfriend alerted authorities days before the ceremony.
The girl’s father signed an undertaking to cancel the wedding and wait until his daughter reaches the legal age for marriage. (Representative Image) A 16-year-old girl in Bengaluru was days away from being married off to a man nearly twice her age when her boyfriend made a phone call that changed everything.
The girl’s family had quietly arranged her wedding with a 33-year-old man, booking a marriage hall in the city for May 11. Facing her mother’s kidney failure and family expectations, the teenager had been emotionally pressured into accepting the marriage. She shared the development with her boyfriend.
He telephoned a pro-Kannada organisation, which flagged the matter to the Urban District Child Protection Office. Officials reached the family’s home on May 7 – four days before the scheduled ceremony.
According to an official at the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), the girl’s mother, already dealing with failing kidneys and regular dialysis, broke down when officials raised the possibility of taking her daughter into a shelter home. She threatened to harm herself.
The officials who visited informed the family about the Child Marriage Act, explained the legal consequences – including potential action against the groom for agreeing to marry a minor – and counselled them on the health and emotional risks of a union with such a significant age gap. By the end of the visit, the girl’s father had signed an undertaking to cancel the wedding and wait until his daughter reaches the legal age for marriage.
“The CWC has issued notice to the parents to appear before them next week. The police will visit the home daily until then to ensure the girl’s safety,” an officer said.
Meanwhile, some of the activists who raised the alarm are reportedly receiving threat calls. Officials have advised them to file a police complaint.
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