WARANGAL: A team of officials who went to stop the wedding of an under-age girl in Tallakunta thanda under Wardhannapet mandal was turned away by villagers on Wednesday night. A crowd stopped the officials from reaching the house where the wedding ceremony for the 12-year-old girl was on.
The villagers got into an altercation with child protection officers, police and ICDS officials around 11pm. District child development officer (DCPO) G Mahender Reddy said the villagers paid no heed to the words of the officials and abused them.
“Women ganged up against women officers and argued against any outside ‘interference’ in the issue. They said it was the family’s decision as to when their children should get married. There was high tension. The villagers were in a mood to defy the police,” he said.
CDPO Padma, supervisor Hemalatha, Wardhannapet police sub-inspector Vamsi Krishna, child protection officer Raju and police constables left the village without being able to halt the marriage event.
The issue was reported to district collector M Haritha. A police case would be registered against the family members.
Wardhannapet sub-inspector Vamshi Krishna said a case under sections 186, 188 of the IPC and sections 9 and 10 of the Prevention of Child Marriage Act 2006 has been registered.
