47 child marriages prevented

Bhopal, Apr 21 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh administration prevented about 47 child marriages from taking place on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on Friday.

On the basis of information from Shajapur district programme officer Prema Sethi, 20 child marriages were prevented by persuading people in Shajapur.

Four marriages were averted due to direct intervention on the spot and police action was likely in one of the cases.

Seven child marriages were prevented by persuading people in Mandsaur, according to the Mandsaur district Child and Development Officer.

Dhar District Programme Officer Vishal Nadkarni said six complaints regarding child marriages had been received. Of them three marriages were prevented, while bride and bridegroom were found to be adults in two cases. One complaint was found to be untrue.

Four child marriages were prevented in Dewas, while eight child marriages were averted in Shivpuri.

Bhopal District Officer Suresh Tomar said people have begun to understand the Child Marriage Restraint Act in villages also and feared getting child marriages done.

A special campaign is launched by the Woman and Child Development Department to fight social ills such as child marriages every year.

UNI