Greater Noida: Grandparents save two minor girls from forced marriage

Two minor girls were saved by their grandparents from being forcibly married off after complaints were lodged with the police in two different areas of Greater Noida. However, no FIR was registered against anyone.

In the first incident that took place in Jarcha, a 66-year-old man made a call to the police an hour before the baraat (groom’s party) was to arrive from Jhajjar in Haryana. The senior citizen told the police that his granddaughter is a minor and was being married off forcibly.

He moved an application asking police to take action against his son and daughter-in-law, who were allegedly getting the girl married off for the sake of money.

Based on his complaint, the police party remained stationed at the wedding venue. Station house officer, Jarcha, Shalendra Pratap Singh, said, “When the baraat came, we told them about the objection raised by the grandfather. The girl’s father Prempal said his daughter is 19 and was being married willingly, but had no document to prove her age. The wedding was called off and will now take place only after valid documents are produced.”

Singh said the grandfather of the girl, who he claims is 15, has alleged that the groom already has two daughters and a son. The groom allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to the girl’s family in order to marry her.

In another incident in Dadri, a girl aged 15 years was helped by her grandmother in escaping a forced marriage on Monday. Police said the girl was to be married to a man twice her age.

The grandmother and the girl fled their house following which a complaint was registered by the groom’s family at Greater Noida police station. In the complaint, the family members of groom alleged that the bride decamped with jewellery and cash given by them.

Later, on Tuesday, the girl went to Dadri police station along with her grandmother and claimed she was being harassed by the groom’s family.

Ram Sen Singh, SHO, Dadri, said, “The girl is a minor and is living with her aunt and uncle. Her mother died in 2004 and father Manoj remarried again. The grandmother was told that a baraat will come to their residence on Monday evening following which she fled with the girl.”

Ram Sen Singh said the girl’s uncle, identified as Dharampal, is an alcoholic and had fixed her marriage with a man, identified as Anil, 35, of Ladpura.

“We immediately told the groom’s family not to harass the girl and her grandmother. The matter is being investigated and family has been assured all help,” the SHO said.

The family of the groom alleged that Dharampal had taken money from them for the wedding. They claimed that they had given him Rs 6 lakh in cash and jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh, the police said.