24-year-old booked for marrying minor in TN

Chennai, Dec 9 ( IANS) Police have booked a 24-year-old youth for marrying a 13-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006.

Accused Arun and his mother Pandiyammal, hailing from Koolandipatti in Mangulam area, and the parents of the girl, have also been booked.

According to Tamil Nadu Child Welfare Commission, the marriage took place on Monday at Perumal temple in Therkundrampatti, after which the girl went to school with the 'Mangalasutra'.

Police, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) officials, and officers of Social Welfare Department reached the school on a tip-off and spoke to the girl who informed the authorities that the marriage was solemnised with her "consent".

CWC members M.R. Shanthi and L. Shanmugham said: "When we spoke to the girl, she said that she was in love with Arun and wanted to marry him. He was going abroad and the girl wanted to marry him before he leaves for abroad. She had told him that she would live with her parents and attend school."

The CWC also got a declaration from the girl and her parents that she would continue her studies by staying at her parent's residence and all of them would appear before the CWC every month.

The CWC members said that the minor has to be handed over to her mother under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.