Officials from Childline, Child Protection Unit, Social Welfare and police departments on Thursday rescued four prospective child brides at different places in Ramanathapuram district.

The action comes just days after three child marriages were stopped in the district.

On getting alerts through Childline helpline 1098, the officials and police personnel from the anti-human trafficking wing called a halt to the marriages and rescued the child brides.

School drop-outs

Listing the cases, the officials said a 15-year-old girl, who was a class X drop-out, was to be married to her 29-year-old uncle, R. Muneeswaran, at R Kavanoor. The groom had just returned from Singapore for the marriage.

The girl was produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and counselled to continue her studies. The girl’s parents and the thwarted groom gave a written undertaking not to proceed with the marriage, officials said.

In another incident, a 15-year-old girl, also a class X drop out, was set to marry S. Murugan, 25, at Akkaramesi in Nainarkoil block.

CWC officials counselled the rescued girl to continue her studies and obtained written undertakings from her parents and the groom not to go ahead with the marriage till she attained the legally marriageable age of 18.

At Peraiyur in Kamuthi block, a 16-year-old girl was to marry L. Pooramar, 29, employed in an export company in Tiruppur. Her parents agreed to produce her before CWC on Friday.

At Karisalkulam in Kamuthi block, a 16-year-old girl, a class IX drop-out, was to marry B. Mareeswaran, 25. Parents agreed to produce the girl before CWC on Friday.

In all four instances, officials stopped the marriage with the help of local police. Barring one case, they did not face resistance while stopping the marriages.