Officials from Women and Child Development (WCD) department today prevented a marriage of a 17-year-old minor girl here, as part of their drive to check child marriages in the district.
Acting on a tip-off, WCD officials raided a house in Brahmabagh colony and prevented the marriage of the minor girl, Laxmi Chouhan, who was supposed to get "married" on May 10, WCD Project Officer Chitra Yadav told PTI.
Though her pre-marriage ceremonies had already begun, officials counselled her parents not to go ahead with her "marriage", because it is against the law to marry off a girl who is below 18 years of age.
Laxmi's parents gave an affidavit that they would not marry her off until she completes 18 years of age.
Under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, marriage of a boy below 21 years of age and a girl below 18 years is a crime which attracts two years' rigorous imprisonment or Rs 1 lakh as fine or both, if found guilty.
