Court thwarts 12 child marriages in Malappuram

MALAPPURAM: In a first in the state, a magistrate on Saturday blocked moves by parents to marry off 12 minor girls in Malappuram. Nilambur judicial first class magistrate Aneesh Chacko issued an injunction, forbidding parents from solemnising the marriages, on a petition filed by the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer Preethakumari R. The marriageable age is 18 years for females and 21 years for males in India. Dr Preethakumari found that families of 11 underage girls in Moothedam panchayat and one girl in Edakkara were between 15 and 17 years of age and their parents had completed formalities for marriage, though in violation of the law.  The officer filed a petition before the magistrate, seeking to restrain parents from committing the unlawful act.

The court found the evidence — birth certificates — submitted by the petitioner sufficient enough to attract provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006. Section 13 in The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006: Power of court to issue injunction prohibiting child marriages: Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Act, if, on an application of the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer or on receipt of information through a complaint or otherwise from any person, a Judicial Magistrate of the first class or a Metropolitan Magistrate is satisfied that a child marriage in contravention of this Act has been arranged or is about to be solemnised, such Magistrate shall issue an injunction against any person including a member of an organisation or an association of persons prohibiting such marriage.

The court directed the senior house officer at Edakkara police station to produce parents of all 12 girls, who belong to Muslim and Hindu communities, before the court on Monday. All girls, who were about to be wed-locked are pursuing higher secondary courses in Moothedam and Edakkara panchayats. “Clandestine child marriages are rampant in the area and we had thwarted many of them. We often have information on such proposals but the proof is hard to come by. In most cases there would be no documentary evidence and parents are hostile. So this time we took the cases to court, which has changed the scene altogether,” she told DC.

Dr Preethakumari said around 50 such cases are under the scanner and a thorough inquiry would be launched into it soon. The officers are empowered to prevent such marriages on their own but their efforts are in vain. Malappuram has 29 block-level child marriage prohibition officers. The District Child Protection unit will soon to launch an action plan to bolster the anti-child marriage campaign throughout the district, said Mr Sameer Machingal, district child protection officer.