Five persons were arrested and three are at large in a child marriage case in Thane district in Maharashtra, news agency PTI reported citing a police official said on Saturday (August 26). According to Kapurbawadi police station sub inspector BK Kolhapure, on August 22, a tip was received that some people were planning to marry off a 14-year-old girl, and a team was rushed to the location.
The "marriage" ceremony had already ended, but police were able to apprehend the groom, the girl's father, and three others, while the priest involved and two women escaped, he said.
"The marriage was fixed two months ago after the groom promised to two give two tolas of gold and Rs 1 lakh. The girl's mother died sometime before the marriage. The accused have been booked under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 (PCMA) outlaws child marriage and provides for its prevention as well as the protection of child brides. The Act was passed in 2006 to replace the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, which had been found to be ineffective in addressing the issue of child marriage.
The PCMA establishes a minimum marriage age of 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys. It forbids any marriage involving a person under the age of 18. The Act also punishes those who perform or facilitate child marriages. For solemnising a child marriage, the penalty is up to two years in prison or a fine of up to one lakh rupees, or both. Child marriage is punishable by up to one year in prison a fine of up to fifty thousand rupees, or both.
The PCMA also provides for the protection of child brides. It allows a child bride to annul her marriage if she is below the age of 18 years at the time of the marriage. The Act also includes provisions for rehabilitating child brides who are forced to leave their homes following their marriage.
The prevalence of child marriage in India has decreased from 47.4% in 2005-06 to 27.9% in 2019-21, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21. This means that in the last 15 years, the number of child marriages in India has decreased by approximately 20 million. Click here to refer to the report.
In terms of FIRs registered, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that the number of FIRs registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 has increased from 12,604 in 2016 to 17,253 in 2020. This shows that the government is taking steps to enforce the law and punish those who violate it. Click here to refer to the report.
However, the number of FIRs registered is still much lower than the actual number of child marriages taking place in India.