Marriage of 13 yr old girl with 34 yr old man puts Bhojpur police in dock

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Sra : The marriage of a 13 year old girl with a 34 year old man at a temple at village Akhgaon under Sandesh police station in Bhojpur district on April 26, 2019, night, has put police in dock as the minor girl had informed police about her impending marriage 20 days back seeking their help. The matter came on surface on April 29 morning.

SHO, Sandesh police station, has asked for birth certificate of the minor girl from the priest of the temple. The SHO  said that the matter of marriage of the minor has come to his notice and he is investigating into the matter and the guilty would not be spared.

The minor girl had given a petition to SHO, Women’s Police Station, about 20 days back suspecting her marriage with a 34 year old man and requested police to intervene in the matter but police remained unmoved. The girl then submitted a petition to SDO, Ara, Arun Prakash, who sent the application to Dhangai police station. Police assured her that they would not allow the marriage and that police were with her. Dhangai police also asked her parents not to marry her. But, her parents still married her with the 34 year old man at a Shiv temple of the village on April 26, 2019.

SDO, Arun Prakash, said that he has directed the Sandesh police station to inquire into the matter and added that after inquiry a named FIR would be lodged against those responsible marriage on the statement of the Circle Officer.

The villagers said that had the police acted at the petition of the girl, her marriage could have been easily prevented.