Tiruvallur officials foil minor marriage bid, arrest groom, parents

Jagadeeshwaran (23), a fitter at a private firm in Avadi, was to marry Sruthi (name changed) (15) of Bajanai Koil Street in Veppampattu near Tiruvallur on Friday in an ceremony at an Amman Temple at Pakkam village near Tirunindravur. 

When the child marriage was brought to the notice of Tiruvallur District Social Welfare Officer Padmini John Paul, she lodged a complaint with the police. 

The Tirunindravur police registered a case under Sections 9, 10 and 11 of Clause (1) and (2) of The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.  Following a tip-off by a villager, the social welfare officials visited the place accompanied by the Tirunindravur police Inspector Suresh Kumar and they stopped the marriage. 

Police intervention ensured that family members of the bride and bridegroom called off the marriage. 

Subsequently, police took the bridegroom, his parents and bride’s parents for questioning to the police station. 

Later the police arrested the bridegroom M Jagadeeshwaran (23), his father Mani (54) and mother Mallika (45). The police arrested the bride’s parents Venkatesan (49) and Dhanalakshmi (42) too. 

All the five have been remanded in judicial custody. Police have been conducting further inquiries in  the case.