SC asks petitioners to furnish latest details on child marriages after PIL seeks implementation of anti-child marriage law

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the petitioners, who have questioned the intent of the Centre and states about implementation of the anti-child marriage law, to furnish latest inputs about the decadent practice which is still prevalent. [caption id=“attachment_4295365” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Supreme Court. AP[/caption] A bench of Justices Madan Lokur and Deepak Gupta, after perusing the plea, said that certain figures mentioned in the petition were of 2006. “We are asking for latest figures. These are 2006 figures. You file an additional affidavit and give us the details,” the bench asked senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who was appearing for the petitioners. Gonsalves sought time to furnish the latest details after which the court posted the case for hearing after four weeks. The petitioners, Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action and National Campaign Committee for Eradication of Bonded Labour, have claimed that the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 were not being implemented effectively by the Centre and states, which has led to rampant child marriages in the country. The plea, while referring to various reports, has said that the 2011 census report had revealed that child marriage was “still rampant, with almost one in every three women having been married off while she is still under the age of 18 years”. It has claimed that due to non-enforcement of the 2006 Act stringently, the governments have failed to protect the girl child since child marriage was violative of the provisions of the Constitution. It has alleged that continued practice of child marriage has breached international conventions which have been ratified by India. The plea has sought direction to all the states and union territories as well as Director General of Police (DGPs) to ensure that steps are taken to prevent child marriages. It has sought court’s direction for appointing child marriage prohibition officers in every districts.