Wednesday, 07 April 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
After a video recently went viral on social media in which a man claimed that one of his minor students was forcibly married to an adult during the lockdown period, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) chief Usha Negi directed the Chamoli district administration to investigate the matter. While talking to The Pioneer, Negi informed that somebody sent her a video on Monday in which a man has stated that a 14 years old girl was married to a 32 years old man during the lockdown period by luring her father with some money. The man has claimed in the video that the girl is also a victim of domestic violence, said Negi. Taking cognisance of the matter, the SCPCR got in touch with the child welfare committee members of the Chamoli district who informed Negi that the members along with a Patwari reached the house of the alleged victim in the Pokhri village of the district on Tuesday and started the investigation. According to Negi, the accused who married the minor girl lives in the Dehradun district and allegedly beats her too. Negi has ordered the district magistrate of Chamoli to take proper action against the culprits after investigating the matter and asked that the investigation report be submitted to the commission within 10 days.
According to Negi, she recently heard about cases in which poor and underprivileged children are targeted by some offenders from nearby states like Haryana in the remote areas of various districts. Such men marry young girls by luring their parents with money and then nobody knows what happens with these minors. She added that such cases are not generally brought to light by anyone but it is commendable that people are now coming forward with such complaints. She stressed that it shows people trust the government and authorities for taking appropriate action in such crimes against minors.
