In a shocking incident from Telangana, a 13-year-old girl from Ranga Reddy district was rescued from a child marriage after her school teacher raised an alarm with child protection authorities and the police.
The girl, a Class 8 student, had reportedly been married off on May 28 to a 40-year-old man named Srinivas Goud from Kandiwada.
The incident surfaced when the girl confided in her teacher, who immediately informed local officials including Tahsildar Rajeshwar and Inspector Prasad.
“The girl lives with her mother and brother. Her mother had told the landlord that she planned to marry off her daughter. A mediator introduced the groom, and the wedding took place in May,” said Inspector Prasad.
Authorities have charged the groom, his wife, the girl’s mother, the mediator, and the priest who conducted the ceremony under the Prevention of Child Marriage Act.
The girl has since been moved to a Sakhi Centre for protection and is undergoing counseling.
Sexual activity with a minor is a criminal offense under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Despite various state initiatives to curb child marriages, such incidents continue to surface.
Notably, many of these are driven not by poverty, but by parental fears of their daughters eloping.
Meanwhile, the department has received information about another planned child marriage involving an 18-year-old girl and a 19-year-old boy, scheduled for August 14. Legally, the minimum age for marriage in India is 21 for men and 18 for women.
