Marriage of minor with molester: Clean chit to cops, FIR against families

Jharkhand State Commission for Women (JSCW) on Friday gave clean chit to cops over the charges of solemnizing marriage of a minor with her alleged molester inside Rajnagar police station in Seraikela Kharsawan district. The commission ruled that the marriage did not take place inside the police station and it was organised by the villagers, officials said.

Seraikela Kharsawan district administration has, however, lodged an FIR against both the families.

Rajnagar officer-in-charge (OC) Yagyanarayan Tiwari was sent to police line while investigating officer (IO) Anil Kumr Ojha have been suspended for administrative lapses. District superintendent of police Chandan Kumar Sinha, said, “Once the matter had come to the PS, they should have filed an FIR. But they had even failed to make a station diary. They have to face action for such administrative lapses even though it has now been confirmed that the marriage did take place inside PS,” said Sinha.

JSCW chairperson Kalyani Sharan said the inquiry found that the marriage of the girl, 15, and accused Rajeev Mahato, 25, was not performed in the Rajnagar PS but was socially solemnized at the village in the presence of the villagers.

“We have asked both the families to take care of education of the girl at least till Class 12. The girl will shift to her in-laws place only after attaining the age of 18,” said Sharan.

The JSCW team led by Sharan also met Seraikela-Kharsawan DC and SP on Friday evening. “The girl told us that she had not seen cops being bribed inside the police station. The police and administration will fully cooperate in girl’s education in future,” said Sharan.

Deputy commissioner Chhabi Ranjan said Rajnagar block development officer (BDO) cum child marriage prohibition officer has lodged an FIR against both the families under Child Marriage (Prohibition) Act-2006. “Law will take its own course till the girl – born on January 3, 2003 – attains adulthood. There’s legal provision for her to choose her course of life after becoming adult,” said Ranjan.