One married as minor may opt for dissolution of marriage as adult

New Delhi, Sep 21 (UNI) Rigorous imprisonment is proposed for a male adult marrying a child under new legislation for prohibiting child marriage and repealing the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 approved by the Union Cabinet today.

Moreover, a child marriage solemnised in contravention of the Act can be declared void if the party who was a minor at the time of marriage desires, an official spokesperson said here briefing newspersons on the Cabinet decisions.

The legislation also provides that there would be no provision for compulsory registration of marriage and exempts women from being sentenced to imprisonment.

These provisions have been incorporated in the legislation as per a decisions taken by the Group of Minister(GoM).

There would be higher punishment for contravention of the Hindu Marriage Act under section 18(a) which prescribes simple imprisonment.

The GoM also proposed change in the short title of the Bill to read as the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill, 2006. The nomenclature of the Child Marriage Prevention Officers would be changed to Child Marriage Prohibition Officers.

UNI NAZ RL HT1702