A speech-impaired man allegedly threatened his minor daughter, aged 14, to marry her maternal uncle (27), failing which he would resort to blinding himself. Amid arguments and threats, the child marriage was stopped at Gangapuram village near Chinna Tippa Samudram of Madanapalle division on Friday night, a few hours before it was to take place.
The man, belonging to Gangapuram village, reportedly was worried that it would be difficult to perform the marriage of his daughter owing to his disability. For the past one year, the girl’s uncle was allegedly pestering the family to give her in marriage to him.
Rejects proposal
The girl rejected the proposal and pleaded with the parents to allow her continue her studies. In March this year, the IX class student was forced to stop going to school and was confined to home.
The couple arranged the marriage for Saturday. The girl’s friends contacted volunteers of the Rural Organisation for Poverty Eradication Services (ROPES) Childline 1098, and the Women’s Association for Liberation, Transformation and Community Health (WATCH).
Father’s threat
The rescue teams rushed to the village and tried to stop the marriage. Getting into an argument with the rescue team, the father allegedly threatened the girl with menacing gestures, indicating that he would go blind if she refused to get married.After the intervention of the ICDS staff and the local police, the couple relented and gave an undertaking that they would desist from performing the child marriage. The officials said that they would take steps to allow the girl to continue her studies.
