Minor bride rescued from marriage pandal in Odisha capital

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 10:

Officials of the Child Development department rescued a 15-year-old minor girl from the marriage pandal of Shikharchandi temple in the Odisha capital on Saturday.

A man from Harekrushna slum area, on conditions of anonymity, informed the Child Welfare Officer of North Bhubaneswar area after seeing the crying girl at the marriage pandal.

Following information, IIC of Infocity police station along with Child Line volunteers, local corporator Mamata Rout and Mihir Rout, member of a youth organisation reached the spot and rescued the girl with the permission from the deputy collector.

The authorities managed to send back her parents away from the marriage after much persuasion.

The minor girl was being forced to marry against her will to an auto driver. Her poor parents Loknath and Shanti Pradhan had agreed to the marriage proposal after being offered some monetary support from the auto driver.

The auto driver Suresh and his family members; however, did not come to the marriage place after getting the information of presence of police on the spot.

The local police have advised the girl’s family members to stay away from these men.