Bihar: Officials foil child marriage in Kishanganj

PATNA: A joint team of the district administration and the Child Line on Tuesday prevented a 13-year-old girl from being married off in violation of the Child Marriage Act in Kishanganj district.
Acting on a tip off, Kishanganj sub-divisional officer (SDO) Shahnawaz Neyazi along with representatives of the Child Line and other block officials reached a village under Chakla panchayat in the district and persuaded the parents not to marry the minor girl.
Initially, the parents denied that their 13-year-old daughter was being tied in a nuptial knot but conceded the truth during interrogation. Subsequently, the parents furnished a bond pledging that the girl would be married after attaining the age of 18-years.
District coordinator of Child Line Pankaj Kumar Jha said that the swift action of the administrative officials saved the life of a minor girl. “Had they not taken action on time, the child marriage couldn’t have been prevented,” he said.
The SDO Neyazi along with block development officer Minhaz Ahmad and mukhiya of Chakla panchayat Tanvir Alam appealed from people not to allow marriage of their wards—girls below the age of 18 and boys below the age of 21 year, respectively.
The state government has set up teams on district level to check child marriage, a social evil. Last week, the Bihar State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (BSCPCR) received a complaint from Bhagalpur district.
The chairperson of BSCPCR Pramila Kumari said that a probe had already been ordered into the marriage of a 16-year-old girl from Mujahidpur police station in Bhagalpur district.
On the other hand, the state police received six complains of child marriage across the state during the Covid-19 lockdown.