Child marriage victim rescued by NGO

A 17-year-old girl, who was forcibly married five years ago, was rescued by an NGO after she ran away from her house and was handed over to a government girls shelter here.
The girl, who had run away from her house yesterday, was rescued by the Kriti Bharti of Saarthi Trust and handed over to the Government Girls Home here, the NGO officials said today.
The girl, with the help of the NGO, now plans to apply for annulment of her marriage and wants to study further to become a police officer.
She told the media here that she always wanted to study but her family did not let her continue her studies after 11th standard and was now forcing her for 'gauna' (handing over to the in-laws after child marriage).

"Now I look forward to get out of this unwanted wedlock and then resume my studies to become a police officer, so that I could get justice to the needy ones," the girl said.
According to Bharti, the Managing Trustee of the trust, the girl had called her up yesterday asking for help.

"I left for her village Bhandiawas in Pachpadra in Barmer district in a huff in the night itself with no communication with the girl and no idea of her whereabouts, and after a search of the area, I succeeded in finding her near the road," said Bharti.

She then first took her to the Child Welfare Committee of Barmer and obtained the custody of the girl and then took her to Jodhpur, where she presented her to the local Child Welfare Committee and then handed her over to the custody of the Government Girls Home in Jodhpur.
Bharti said the girl was under a state of trauma and the trust would now try to talk to her parents and her husband to bring a consensus for annulment for the child marriage.
"If they are not ready, we would take the course as per law," she added.