Panchayat vice -president arrested for marrying minor girl in Tamil Nadu

MADURAI: The Tuticorin district police in Tamil Nadu arrested a panchayat vice-president on Thursday for marrying a minor girl.
District child protection officer (DCPO) B Jothikumar said that the girl, who was 17 years old, from Nanguneri, was a Class 12 student and was the youngest daughter of her parents. “Her parents were not financially sound . They solemnised her wedding with Sundar Raj, 36, of Asirvathapuram,” he said.
The wedding that took place in Peikulam village on Wednesday morning could not be stopped as information regarding the marriage reached Childline and child protection unit only by afternoon. A team of officials rushed to Sundar Raj’s place and rescued the girl. She was taken to the reception unit for rescued girls in Tuticorin.
The Tiruchendur all-woman police booked the accused and his parents under sections 9 (punishment for male adult marrying a child) and 10 (punishment for solemnising a child marriage) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006.
“Sundar Raj was arrested remanded in judicial custody on Thursday,” said Prema, inspector at Tiruchendur all-woman police station.