Kota: A 15-year-old Class 10 student fled her home Saturday and reached the Bundi collectorate seeking help to stop her marriage, scheduled for April 20. She alleged her father had arranged the marriage to a man at least 10 years her senior, for Rs 4 lakh.Acting on directions of the district administration, a Childline team rescued the girl and produced her before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which ordered that she be sent to a shelter home till April 20. The CWC also initiated action to restrain her parents from solemnising the marriage before she turns 18.CWC chairperson Seema Poddar said the girl, a resident of a village under Raithal police station area and belonging to the Gurjar community, reached the additional district magistrate’s office on Saturday afternoon seeking intervention.The girl told ADM Ramkishore Meena she wanted to continue her studies instead of getting married. She further alleged her father, who is addicted to alcohol, had fixed the marriage and that a deal worth Rs 4 lakh had been struck, with a written agreement stating double the amount would be returned if the marriage did not take place.Poddar said the case shows the impact of sustained awareness campaigns against child marriage, with more minor girls in rural areas coming forward to report such incidents and seek help from authorities.
