Indore officials halt 36 child marriages at mass wedding event

Indore: Authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district halted 36 underage couples from tying the knot during a mass wedding ceremony on Friday, an official confirmed. The event, held in Bachhoda village of Depalpur tehsil, featured 49 couples in total, said Mahendra Pathak, head of the flying squad set up by the Women and Child Development Department to prevent child marriages.

“Out of the 49 couples, 36 were found to be underage. The girls were between 16 and 17 years old, and the boys were around 20,” Pathak stated. “We intervened and stopped the ceremonies after warning the organisers of potential legal consequences.”

The remaining 13 couples, who met the legal age requirements, were allowed to proceed with the wedding. According to the Child Marriage Prohibition Act, 2006, the legal minimum age for marriage in India is 21 for men and 18 for women. Violators may face up to two years of rigorous imprisonment or a fine of ₹1 lakh.

[with PTI inputs]