Mandya: Child marriage – Girl married off secretly just a day before SSLC exam in Mandya

‎Mandya:‎‎ In a shocking incident, the parents of a minor girl got her secretly married off to a relative, despite warnings from the government authorities against child marriage. To hide the secret marriage, the girl was sent for writing the ongoing SSLC examination after removing the Mangalya Sutra and other symbols of wedlock.

It is gathered that the girl’s parents held a secret ceremony in their home in Srirangapatna for the wedding. This happened on March 27, just a day before the SSLC examinations were to begin. The next day, the girl was sent to appear for the examination after removing the traditional Mangalya Sutra and anklets.

However, at school, the girl narrated the incident to her friends, who in turn alerted the authorities about the illegal wedding of a minor girl.

It has come to light that the government authorities knew about child marriage earlier. On March 18, they had issued a strict warning to the family not to go ahead with the illegal wedding. However, the parents of the girl chose not to heed the advice and got her married in secret.

For now, the authorities of the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) have isolated the girl from her parents. She is currently lodged at the Balamandira in Mandya. All arrangements have been made for her to appear for the SSLC examination, authorities said.

An FIR has been registered against the family members for performing a child marriage, the WCD authorities added.