Khushi Doshi
Published on: April 18, 2022 at 21:29 IST
Observing that there were few First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against prevalent child weddings, the Bombay High Court urged the Maharashtra Government to explain the actions it had taken to prevent the practice.
Advocate Asim Sarode, arguing for the Petitioner, informed the Bench of Justices AA Sayed and Abhay Ahuja that about 1 lakh child marriages of Juvenile Girls were performed in Maharashtra. In this context, he suggested that it was critical to include the State Child Rights Commissions in Order to execute the Legislation in all 36 districts.
Sarode referenced an item in a Regional Newspaper that revealed 1,200 cases of child marriage had been halted in a part of the state in the previous two years.
The Court pondered why the number of First Information Reports did not correspond to the number of purported Child Marriages in the State.
Respondent-Authorities were represented by Additional Government Pleader Reena Salunkhe, who informed the Court that rules under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act had been created and a Committee had been formed to look into its proper implementation.
By June 13, the Bench instructed the Government to give information of the actions taken and intended to be done in an Affidavit.
According to the Petition filed by Advocate Ajinkya Udane, a huge number of child weddings go unreported, and the true number of such marriages is much greater than the Official Data.
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