Child marriages: Tamil Nadu police, social welfare dept on high alert

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare department and the police are on high alert over child marriages that are taking place in the state.

While there were many incidents of child marriages during the lockdown period, the recent instance of a 40-year-old man trying to marry a 14-year-old girl has put the social welfare department and the police on an alert.

Acting on a tip-off, Childline officials of Vellore district along with the police and revenue officials rescued a 14-year-old girl who was to be married to a 40-year-old distant relative who was entering into his third marriage.

The marriage was to be solemnised at a local temple on Monday morning but the marriage was foiled Police took the groom into custody and the girl was handed over to the District Childline authorities in Vellore district.

The victim had dropped out of school from Class VII and was living with her mother after her father passed away. The 40-year-old man was from Andhra Pradesh and a distant relative of the girl who had married twice earlier.

In another incident, a 17-year-old girl was rescued by Police and Childline authorities in the Myladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu.

Childline Vellore district coordinator, K.S. Devendiran while speaking to IANS, said: "After this incident, we are on a high alert in the district and have alerted all school authorities on whether there is any drop in girl children reaching schools. We are also in touch with the resident associations, social organisations, political parties etc."

The Tamil Nadu police is also on an alert to prevent any incidents of child marriages.

Sources told IANS that the state DGP was directed by the Chief Minister to get tips from across the state using the intelligence agencies on whether child marriages are taking place in Tamil Nadu.