6 arrested for child marriage in Tamil Nadu, accused forced teenage ‘lovers’ to marry

Mangalore Today News Network

Chennai, Dec 16, 2021: Tamil Nadu police have arrested six people in a Thanjavur village for forcibly organising a child marriage. A minor boy and girl were forced to marry after a group of villagers ‘discovered them to be lovers’.

 

The incident took place near Thiruvonam in Thanjavur district. The two were discovered talking to each other in the early hours of Tuesday.

The boy is 17 and the girl 16. They study in Class 12 and attend the same school. The boy, along with a friend, had gone to the girl’s house on Monday night. A few villagers noticed them talking together around 12.30 am, according to reports.

After finding out they were lovers, the villagers informed their parents, who reached the spot. The villagers then compelled the parents to get them married.

Under pressure from the villagers, the parents got the child marriage solemnised around 3 am at a temple on Tuesday.

After the incident came to light, the panchayat union welfare officer for Thiruvonam, Kamala Devi, informed the police. An inquiry was conducted and six people were arrested for forcing the minors to marry.

Those arrested were identified as Raja, 51, Ayyavu, 55, Raman, 62, Gopu, 38, Nadimuthu, 40, and Kanniyan, 50. The boy was sent to a juvenile home in Thanjavur, while the girl was sent to a government home.The accused were charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and provisions of the Prohibition of the Child Marriage Act.

Courtesy:India Today