Thane police child protection unit foils child marriage

Thane, Dec 3: The Child Protection Unit (CPU) of the Thane Police Commissionerate swung into action today after a tip-off and foiled a child marriage in the district, official sources said here today evening.

Police inspector Madan Ballal who heads the CPU told PTI that a 16-year-old girl was about to be married to a youth aged 28 in the Kalwa locality. However, after getting a tip-off, the police rushed to the scene and rescued the girl from her parents who were about to get her married to the youth, as well as arrested four other people in connection with the offence, he said.

The police identified those who have been arrested as Raju Mahanti, Sudharshan Mahanti, Pandit Govind Tripati and Upendra Panda. The police said that the would-be victim was a tenth standard student who resided in Kalwa.

Those arrested have been charged under various sections of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, he said. Offences have been registered by the Kalwa police and further investigations into the crime are on by officials of the CPU and the Kalwa police, he said. Perhaps this is the first case in the recent past where the police took action to prevent a child marriage in the district.

PTI