10-year-old sold for Rs 50,000 in marriage in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: In a sordid reminder of the social manifestations of the skewed child sex ratio in Gujarat, a ten-year-old tribal girl from Banaskantha was sold off in a marriage to a 35-year old man based in Asarwa. The agents along with the parents sold the girl for Rs 50,000. Ironically, the husband of the minor is a year younger to her father.


ACP KM Joseph of Mahila crime branch said that the girl was rescued on Tuesday from her sister-in-law’s house in Kubernagar area. “She has been sent to the women’s protection home in Odhav where girls held in socio-legal cases are housed,” said Joseph.

An FIR was filed by protection officer of the social justice department in Hadad police station of Banaskantha district. Legal action has been initiated in the case to rescue the girl after a video of her marriage to the middle-aged man went viral on social media. The video was received by a social justice department officer who works at Palanpur office.

In the video, the 35-year old man, now identified as Govind Thakor, is completing the marriage ritual of putting vermilion in the hair parting of the young girl as part of the Indian wedding.

Investigating the video, the social justice officers reached Khermal village of Danta taluka in Banaskantha. “The girl’s father identified her as his daughter and confessed that they did got the marriage solemnised. Two months ago, the girl had gone to a fair where she was shown to Thakor by an agent named Jagmal Gamar. Thakor agreed to buy the girl in marriage for Rs 50,000. The wedding had taken in August,” states the FIR.

The FIR also states that after the marriage, girl’s father went to bring the minor home but Thakor refused to send her. Sources say that the deal was sealed at a payment of Rs 1.5 lakh out of which Rs 1 lakh was to be paid after marriage. Thakor defaulted on this payment leading to the agent Gamar himself circulating the video to fix Thakor.

Hadad police has filed charges against three persons including girl's father, her husband and the agent under Child Marriage

Prohibition

Act.


(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)



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