13-year-old girl forcibly married to 42-year-old in Indore:Granddaughter ‘traded’ for grandson’s wedding; 13 booked including minor’s family

In a shocking case of child marriage driven by family pressure and a bizarre condition, a 13-year-old girl was forcibly married to a 42-year-old man in Indore district. Police have registered an FIR against 13 people, including the groom, his family members, and the girl’s paternal grandparents. The strange family bargain The incident came to light from the Rangwasa area under Rau police station limits. According to officials from the Women and Child Development Department, the girl’s grandfather was keen to arrange the marriage of his 19-year-old grandson. However, the prospective bride (the girl’s sister-in-law or bhabhi) put forth an unusual condition: she would only marry into the family if the girl (her nanad) was married to her own brother-in-law (the girl’s chacha), a 42-year-old man.To fulfil this condition and secure a bride for their grandson, the girl’s grandparents allegedly “traded” their minor granddaughter. Secret wedding in Ujjain despite warnings The Women and Child Development Department had received prior information about the planned child marriage scheduled for April 25. A flying squad team counselled both families, and they submitted a written assurance that no marriage would take place.However, on the night of April 26, the groom’s side allegedly deceived the authorities. They took the 13-year-old girl and her 19-year-old brother secretly to Ujjain. Outside the Chintaman Ganesh Temple, the children were dressed as bride and groom, and the marriage was solemnised forcibly in the dead of night by applying sindoor (vermilion).After the ceremony, the girl and her brother were dropped back in Rangwasa, while the groom returned to his village, Dayakheda in Sanwer, without the bride. Assault on minor and mother’s complaint When the minor girl resisted pressure to go to her in-laws’ house, her paternal grandmother allegedly beat her severely. Tired of the ongoing harassment, the girl’s mother gathered courage and filed a written complaint with the Child Welfare Committee and the Women and Child Development Department.The department recorded the girl’s statement, which exposed the entire conspiracy. An FIR was lodged on Wednesday against the groom, his relatives, and the girl’s grandparents. Fake marks sheet to conceal age Investigation revealed that after the girl’s father’s death, her mother remarried, and the children were living with their paternal grandparents. To facilitate the child marriages, both families allegedly forged documents. A fake marks sheet was prepared to understate the girl’s age.The Child Welfare Committee has directed police action. The Education Department is separately investigating the fake marks sheet, and further charges related to forgery of government documents are likely to be added once the report is received.This case highlights the deep-rooted issues of child marriage, family pressure, and document forgery in parts of the region despite strict laws and administrative vigilance.