India Shining: Bhindian Policemen force minors to marry

Daily News: Forcing Indians to look in the mirror

Police force Bihar teens to marry

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=a790bb09-1c03 -40a2-969d-8565894735c6&&Headline=Police+force+Bihar+teens+to+marry

A child marriage solemnised under police threat! It seems a bit far-fetched. Nevertheless, it turned out to be true in a remote Purnia village.

Two schoolgoing children tied the nuptial knot under police security and cops were later seen blessing the couple as well.

According to reports, Saroj Kumar Hembram (14), a class VIII student of Kharaiya Tol under Dhamdaha police station of the district, wed Sunita Kumari (13) of neighbouring Bishanpur village under pressure from the local police on Tuesday evening.

The mother of the groom, Dukhiya Hembram, former panchayat samiti member, said her son had gone to a fair and was illegally confined by Chatur Soren and his accomplices. They later informed the local police and when she reached the police station to lodge a missing report regarding her son, the cops told her to marry Saroj to Soren's daughter. "When I resisted the marriage between the two minors, the police threatened me, saying they would put my son behind bars. Later, they also took my signature forcibly," she complained.

If the locals are to be believed, the policemen took the children along with their respective parents to a nearby temple to solemnise the marriage with the help of the temple priest.

When reports of the marriage spread, the children were sent to their respective villages and the police expressed ignorance about the incident. Later, no police official could be contacted for comments on the matter.

Taking strong note of the incident, Superintendent of Police BS Meena said officers found guilty of being instrumental in the child marriage would not be spared.