Minor resists forced marriage, father held

Bhubaneswar:  Forced to discontinue her studies and get engaged at the tender age of 16, a minor girl got her father and three others arrested in Odisha’s Nabrangpur district, an official said on Thursday. The four accused were arrested on Wednesday. Search is now on for five others involved in conducting the girl’s engagement ceremony at Kuhurakot village in Nabrangpur district, about 700 km from here, a senior district police officer said. [caption id=“attachment_391775” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Pic used for representational purposes only. Getty Images[/caption] The girl, who has been living in her maternal uncle’s house after the forced engagement, managed to lodge a complaint at the Jharigaon police station July 20. The 16-year-old’s marriage was fixed after she failed in the Class 10 examination. The family even performed an engagement ceremony despite her protest. The police have registered a case against nine members of the family, including her father Phagunu Panaka, the officer said. According to law, the marriage age for a man is 21 years and for woman 18 years. Although child marriages have been declared illegal, the practice continues in many parts of the country. IANS