Cops, NGO stop minor's marriage

BALURGHAT: A minor girl's marriage was thwarted in Hili after intervention of block officials, police and the officials of district legal services authority. Police said the marriage was scheduled to be held on Sunday night.

According to Suraj Das, coordinator of a Hili-based NGO, received a phone call and the caller told him that the marriage of a 15-year-old minor girl is scheduled on Sunday and prior to that rituals before the marriage have been conducted by her parents without taking her consent.

Without wasting time, block development officer of Hili, Sanjay Subba, acting officer-in-charge of Hili police station T S Lepcha along with the members of that NGO Biprajit Sarkar and Rita Mohanta reached the house of the minor to stop the marriage.

The girl's parents told the officials that they would not marry their daughter off till she reaches the age of 18.

The girl belongs to lower-middle class family and the family has financial compulsions.

The 15-year old girl is a student of a local high school, a police source said.

Later, the parents of the girl provided a written declaration to the police saying that they will not commit the mistake again.

Secretary of district legal services authority, Soumendranath Roy said: "The villagers informed us of the matter.

We had sprung into action immediately, contacted block officials and police seeking their help."