Police halt ‘child marriage’ in Balurghat; bride sent to CWC home
BALURGHAT: A wedding ceremony in Balurghat came to an abrupt halt on Friday night after police intervened, acting on information that the bride was a minor. The incident led to confusion and tension until officers confirmed that the girl was underage.
According to police and local sources, the wedding of an eleventh-grade student was scheduled to take place on Friday night. Both the bride’s and the bridegroom’s families live in the same neighbourhood, while the bridegroom works in another state. Just as the wedding preparations were underway, police arrived at the venue following a tip-off that the girl was below 18.
The bride’s family reportedly attempted to mislead officers by presenting their older daughter—who was above 18—as the bride. Believing the information to be incorrect, the police left. Preparations resumed, but the informant who had alerted the police earlier returned to the venue and provided fresh details. Officers revisited the house and confirmed that the original bride was indeed a minor.
Meanwhile, news of the police visit had already reached the bridegroom’s family. Fearing legal repercussions, the bridegroom refused to proceed with the marriage, leading to further tension. Witnesses claim the girl’s family urged the bridegroom to marry her and leave the area immediately, if needed. There were also allegations that the bridegroom’s family was pressured with threats of self-harm by the girl, which the bride’s family has denied.
The police stopped the wedding and took the minor to the police station. On Saturday, she was sent to a Child Welfare Committee’s home in Malda.
The bridegroom’s mother said: “The marriage had been postponed earlier due to her age. This time, they told us she had turned 18. I cannot read documents, so I trusted what they said. Later, we were pressured to proceed even when doubts arose.”
The girl’s mother, however, stated: “We have admitted our mistake to the police and have given a written declaration that her marriage will not take place before she turns 18. The allegations made by the bridegroom’s family are
false and baseless.”
