Belagavi: Even as the state govt passed the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes 2 years’ imprisonment even for the betrothal of minors, confusion persists over whether it became an Act, with contradictory claims from the minister and department officials.While women and child welfare department officers maintain that the Bill is yet to come into force, minister for women and child welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar asserted that it is already an Act, claiming the governor signed it.
The contradiction came into sharp focus in a child betrothal case reported from Parishwad village in Khanapur taluk, where officials reportedly released a family with only a warning despite evidence of a ring ceremony involving a 16-year-old girl.The betrothal allegedly took place on Jan 25. V Susheela, director of Spandana Sansthe, an NGO working for child rights, said the families proceeded with the ceremony despite an alert issued by the local anganwadi worker.Based on a verbal complaint by the NGO, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), a quasi-judicial body under the women and child welfare department, rescued the girl on Jan 29 and placed her in the Suraksha Children Home at Ganeshpur for counselling.However, the girl was sent back home on Feb 2, just 3 days after her rescue. Spandana Sansthe members claimed the release followed political pressure, despite the NGO submitting evidence, including photographs showing the couple exchanging rings and garlanding each other in the presence of villagers and relatives.Explaining the decision, Chetan Kumar, deputy director of the women and child welfare department, said the girl was sent back with a condition to appear before the CWC once every 2 months until she turns 18.He also claimed there was no provision under the existing law to initiate action against the families for the betrothal. “The amended Bill passed in the monsoon session is yet to get the status of an Act. It will become an Act only after it is published in the Karnataka Gazette,” he said.When contacted, Hebbalkar reiterated that the amended law already came into force and that strict action could be taken against those arranging the betrothal of a minor. “If the incident is true, I will suspend the officials concerned,” she said to the TOI. Pocso court sentences 3 youths to 3 years in prison for molesting a minor girlBelagavi: The Pocso court sentenced 3 youths to 3 years in prison and a fine of Rs 10,000 each for molesting a minor girl in Dec 2024 in Belagavi, on Wednesday. The convicted persons are: Sachin Ram Singh Sahane, 22, Vibisara Prasad Sahane, 26, and Shubham Yadav, 23, from Bharat Nagar. The girl’s parents filed a complaint with APMC police station about following the minor girl and making obscene comments on Dec 24, 2025. Police submitted a report to the Pocso court. Justice CM Pushpalatha heard the case and gave the verdict on Wednesday. Prosecutor LV Patil argued for the govt.
