Jind: The district administration and the Just Rights for Children (JRC), an NGO, successfully prevented two child marriages in Karsindhu village of Jind district late Friday evening.Two would-be brides and a would-be bridegroom were found underage, said officials, adding that 15 child marriages had been stopped in the district during the last one and a half years.The intervention followed a tip-off received by the district administration and JRC team regarding preparations for the marriages of two minor cousin sisters in Karsindhu village.Acting swiftly, Sunita, the district protection and child marriage prohibition officer, constituted a joint team and dispatched it to the spot. The team comprised Ravi Lohan, assistant child marriage prohibition officer; Narender Sharma, district coordinator of the Mission to the Desperate & Destitute of India (an NGO); women constables Aarti and Ritu; and constables Suresh and Deepak.On reaching the spot, the team found that wedding preparations were in full swing. Tents had been erected in the street, and guests were being served food. The two brides’ wedding processions had arrived from Mirzapur village of Hisar district, and approximately 250 guests, including members of the wedding parties, were present.The officials asked the families to produce the girls’ birth certificates to verify their ages. However, the family members allegedly delayed producing the documents for 2-3 hours.The team made it clear that no wedding rituals would be allowed without verification of the girls’ ages. The concerned families and other stakeholders involved in the weddings were also warned of possible legal action under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.Following the strict warning, the families produced the girls’ school certificates late in the evening, said Ravi Lohan.Verification of the documents revealed that the two girls were 17 years and 8 months old and 17 years and 2 months old, respectively. The officials subsequently examined the documents of the prospective bridegrooms. One was found to be 19 years old, while the other was 32 years old.The verification established that three of the four individuals involved in the proposed marriages were below the legally prescribed marriageable age. Following firm intervention and counselling by the officials, both families agreed to stop the marriages. They submitted written statements assuring the authorities that their children’s marriages would take place only after they attain the legally prescribed marriageable age.The parents reportedly said they were not fully aware of the legal provisions concerning child marriage. They explained that they had planned the weddings of the two sisters together to save expenses. However, the authorities emphasised that compliance with the law was mandatory and that no marriage could be solemnised before the prescribed legal age, said Narender Sharma.
