Pune, May 12 : A shocking incident of child marriage has emerged from Pune, a city widely regarded as a hub of modernity and education. The marriage of a minor girl was allegedly forcibly solemnised in Balewadi, one of the cityâ??s upscale localities. Taking a stern stance on the matter, the police have registered a case against 35 individuals, including the groom, his parents, and the girlâ??s relatives.

According to information received from the police, the marriage took place on Sunday, in the Balewadi area, and the victim is only 15-years-old.

What is particularly shocking is that both the groomâ??s family and the brideâ??s family were fully aware that the girl was not legally eligible for marriage. Despite this, ignoring both social responsibility and the law, the wedding rituals were carried out.

By the time the local police received information regarding the clandestine marriage, the formalities had already been completed. Acting swiftly, the police launched an investigation and established that the offence had been committed deliberately.

The Baner police have taken strict action in connection with the case. A complaint has been registered against the 22-year-old groom, his parents, and relatives who were present at the event.

Speaking on the matter, Senior Police Inspector Anil Vibhute of Bavdhan Police Station said that a case has been registered against 35 individuals, including the groom, members of the wedding procession, close relatives attending the ceremony, and guardians from both sides, under Sections 9, 10, and 11 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.

Providing further details, officer Vibhute said, â??It is extremely unfortunate that, even in 2026, we are still compelled to take action against such social evils. In this case, the girl is merely 15. We received information that a minor was being married off in Balewadi in violation of the law. We immediately registered a First Information Report (FIR). Thirty-five individuals have been named in the case, and the investigation is ongoing.â??

He further added, â??We want to send a clear message to society that anyone involved in a child marriage â?? whether a relative or even a guest attending the ceremony â?? will not be spared.â??

Child marriage, defined under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act as any union where the female is under 18 years of age and a male is below 21 years of age, perpetuates cycles of poverty, gender inequality, and health risks, particularly in rural and tribal areas. Furthermore, child marriage directly amounts to child rape under Indian law.

As per the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, any sexual act by a man with his wife who is below 18 years of age amounts to rape. The Supreme Court of India has further clarified that when the husband of a child bride commits penetrative sexual assault on her, it amounts to aggravated penetrative sexual assault, an offence punishable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Efforts to curb child marriage in India began as early as the 19th century with social reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule leading campaigns against the practice, resulting in the Age of Consent Act, 1891 and later the Child Marriage Restraint Act (Sarda Act) of 1929, which set the minimum marriage age at 14 for girls and 18 for boys.

Post-Independence, the government raised these limits through the 1948 amendment (15 for girls), 1978 amendment (18 years for girls and 21 years for boys) and finally the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (18 for women, 21 for men).

/IANS