M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, April 30: An FIR has been lodged with the Latehar police station in an episode of tender age wedding. The Officer in charge of the Latehar police station Ameet Gupta confirmed it today.
The police officer said the FIR was lodged by Latehar BDO Meghnath Oraon with the Latehar police station on April 28 while the said wedding was solemnised on April 27.
The police officer added the complainant has named the accused parents of the bride and groom both of a tender age wedding ceremony. The bride and groom have been so far left out of the FIR.
BDO Latehar Meghnath Oraon told lagatar24.com today that he was tipped off about this underage wedding by a functionary of the child welfare committee on April 27. Taking swift action, he reached the wedding venue at Koora and found the allegation of a tender wedding true.
Oraon conceded before he arrived at the wedding scene, that the nuptial knots were already tied between the minor girl and the adult boy. The pandit had already solemnised the wedding.
The bride hails from the village Koora while the groom is from Nawagarh under the Latehar police station.
Asked if he named the pandit who solemnised this illegal wedding just for the reason that the bride is underage, BDO Oraon admitted that he has not made the said pandit accused of solemnizing the illegal wedding.
The Government of India has enhanced the wedding age of the girl from 18 to 21 years of age which means if a girl who is not 21 years or above and is pushed into a wedding then her parents and the parents of the groom both will be made to face criminal prosecution.
Ameet said, “The BDO has not made the pandit an accused in the matter, however, we in our investigation would take the pandit into our fold.”
“We have laid hands on the wedding invitation cards of this underage wedding function. It will be produced in the court of law as evidence of the wedding ceremony being arranged and solemnised. The underage girl has been given in the safe custody of the child welfare committee Latehar,” said police officer Ameet Gupta.
Latehar police has begun their investigation. There is no detention of any one of both sides.
