Express News Service
BHOPAL: Lockdowns in successive years have led to a spurt in child marriage cases in Madhya Pradesh. In 2019-20, 196 underage marriages were stopped, according to data shared by the Madhya Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. This has risen to 710 in 2020-21. It’s a jump of 262%.
However, despite efforts by the Women and Child Development department, seven marriages could not be stopped. Cases were registered in these illegal weddings. Also, cases were registered in 17 instances, where child marriages had already taken place. Courts have so far nullified 13 of these.
According to State Commission for Protection of Child Rights member Brajesh Chouhan, these statistics show that efforts of the WCD department to stop child/underage marriages are bearing fruit. But he adds that it is alarming that these incidents have increased so much in 2020-21, particularly during the lockdowns.