Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A bride was fully dressed and guests were dining when police and Child Helpline teams entered a wedding venue near Sawangi bypass and stopped a child marriage just before rituals began. The action was part of a coordinated district and police plan to prevent child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya.
The drive led to prevention of three child marriages on April 18–19, saving four minor girls from early marriage. In one case, a girl was shifted to a child care home for safety. Acting on a tip-off, Damini squad reached Rose Function Hall near Sawangi Bypass Chowk where a 16-year-old girl from Phulenagar (Harsul) was already in bridal attire, with around 2,000 guests present. The squad, with Childline officials and local corporator mediation, explained legal consequences and stopped the ceremony without disruption. In separate cases, a 16-year-old girl’s marriage in Jalgaon Pheran was stopped with help of gram panchayat and Karmad police, while another attempt in Ambedkar nagar was also prevented. A reported case in Jatwada was found to be false after verification. All cases were acted upon under the Child Marriage Prohibition Act, 2006. The Child Welfare Committee directed counseling of families and parties involved, and one minor was placed in a child care institution. The operation was led by district child protection officer Mahadev Dongre, Childline coordinators.