The officials of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the Child Protection Unit and the Biridi police foiled a child marriage which was to be held in Sidheswar temple in Biridi block last week.
One Prasanta Swain hailing from Mangurakuda village under Niali block in Cuttack district was scheduled to marry a 16-year-old girl from the same village in the Sidheswar temple in Biridi area. The bridegroom and his Barat had reached the temple in time but the bride could not arrive. Upon knowing about the arrival of the ICDS officials, Child line members and police, the wedding party fled the spot after waiting for the bride for a long time.
The reports said that acting on a reliable tipoff, Niali block ICDS authority had informed their Biridi counterparts about the proposed marriage. Biridi CDPO Nalini Behera, district child marriage consultant Tapan Kumar Gochhayat and local police rushed to the Sidheswar temple and verified about the marriage.
CDPO Behera said that the priest and temple management members were asked about the proposed marriage but they feigned their ignorance about the bride’s age. They said they only let out the temple Mandap for the wedding on rent. Later, the Childline authority admonished the temple management and priest not to perform underage marriage.
Consultant Gochhayat said that the underage bride's family was asked to appear before the CWC, Cuttack, for counselling. CDPO Biridi will file a written complaint in Biridi police station for a probe, he added.