By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In another violation of Child Marriage Act, one girl (13) was married off to one Bobby Singh by her cousins during a year long stay with them in 2011.
According to an FIR filed by the CSWO (A) on Friday, the child barely in her teens was married off to Bobby Singh last year by Laxmi Kaur and Jatter Singh who are the girl’s cousin staying at Cantonment area.
The FIR stated that the girl was sent to stay with her cousin at Cantonment area in 2011 by her father Azad Singh, an employee at TB hospital after her mother passed away thinking that she would learn all the basic household works from her cousins.
Unaware of the intentions of Jatter Singh and Laxmi Kaur, Azad Singh was kept in the dark when his daughter’s marriage was fixed to Bobby Singh and came to know about it only after money was extorted from him for the expense of his daughter’s marriage, the FIR further stated.
“This is clear violation of child marriage act and the child was married off to gain money from the father”, CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said stating the crime committed by Jatter Singh, Laxmi Kaur and Booby Singh was an incitement for rape and extortion.
The CSWO has also asked the concerned authorities to take serious action against the guilty to prevent such incidents of child marriage and incitement for rape and extortion in the future.
Meanwhile, senior police officials informed that they are still looking into the matter.
