Wedding guests gathered, dinner was served but Damini Squad stormed the hall to stop a child marriage

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

A family struggling with extreme poverty, unable even to afford their children’s education, received a marriage proposal from a well-off family for their 16-year-old daughter. Seeing the groom was around 19–20 years old and from a financially stable background, the family decided to get their minor daughter married. However, the Damini Squad, acting on timely information, intervened and stopped the child marriage. The incident occurred around 8 pm on Friday at a marriage hall in the Roshan Gate area of Jinsi, causing chaos at the venue.

Sixteen-year-old ‘Suhana’ (name changed) is a Class 10 student. Her father works as an electrician to support the family. A few days ago, a relative brought a marriage proposal from a wealthy family in Jinsi for a boy aged about 19–20. Without consulting Suhana, the family fixed the wedding. Arrangements were made for the ceremony on 5 December in a large hall in Roshan Gate. Guests began arriving from 7 pm. Men were seated on the ground floor, while Suhana and the women waited upstairs. Dinner arrangements for the guests had also begun. It was at this moment that the police received information about the child marriage.

Police arrival triggers panic; groom whisked away

Acting on instructions from psi Kanchan Mirdhe of the Damini Squad, a team comprising head constable Nirmala Nimbhore, Ambika Darunte, Amruta Bhople, Usha Sonawane, Sonali Nikam, Sarita Kundare and Sudhakar Pawar reached the venue. As soon as the police arrived, panic spread among the nearly 300 guests, and more than half of them fled the hall, some leaving their meals midway. In the commotion, the groom’s relatives reportedly whisked him away. Police estimate he was also around 19–20 years old.

Family refuses to provide Aadhaar card

Police and Child Welfare Committee member Nitesh Durve asked the families of both the boy and girl to provide birth certificates and Aadhaar cards. They refused and claimed that it was “just an engagement ceremony.” Consequently, they were issued a notice to appear before the Committee with all required documents.