Taking cognizance of a child marriage in Hyderabad where a 16-year-old girl was married off to an Omani sheikh in his sixties, reportedly for Rs 5 lakh, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi approached External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday to rescue the girl.
"I would request @SushmaSwaraj to intervene and bring the girl back to India from Oman," Maneka wrote on Twitter even as she expressed anguish over the incident and termed it "deeply disturbing."
The news of the child marriage was broken by media according to which the 16-year-old girl was forcibly married to an elderly man in Oman in exchange of Rs 5 lakh. The man, reportedly an Arab Sheikh, flew back to Oman with the girl. The girl's parents had on Wednesday filed a complaint with the police, alleging that her aunt facilitated the illegal marriage for money.
Maneka said she has directed the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to investigate the case and has sought an action-taken report against those involved in the illegal marriage. The National Commission for Protection of Child Right has also been asked to contact the family members of the girl and provide necessary assistance.Meanwhile, Maneka has encouraged people to report cases of harassment against women or children through social media by using the hashtag #HelpMeWCD.