Child marriage horror: Minor girl married twice, loses two children

Belagavi: In a distressing revelation, a 15-year-old girl Sangeeta (name changed) in Belagavi district was found to be married twice, first at 12 and again at 15. She gave birth to two children, both of whom did not survive. Her Aadhaar card was allegedly forged to increase her age by five years. Health, and women & child welfare departments reportedly failed to act, allowing the crime to unfold. NGO Spandana Association has now stepped in, filing a formal police complaint to rescue the minor.
When an NGO received information about the pregnancy of a minor, they started an investigation through their sources. They found shocking stuff during that time. Sangeeta from one of the villages in Gokak taluk gave birth to a girl child in a private hospital in Belagavi on Feb 12. Since the newborn was underweight, it died after birth.
According to the information collected by the members of the NGO through various sources, a year ago, 26-year-old Birappa (name changed) eloped with Sangeeta. After she became pregnant, he forged her age in her Aadhaar card to get a ‘Taayi card' from the health department for regular check-ups. According to the school documents of Sangeeta, her birth date is Jan 1, 2010. They also obtained her original Aadhaar card with the same birth date. However, in the forged Aadhaar card, her age has been increased by five years, altering the birth date to Jan 1, 2005.
NGO members were even more shocked when they heard that, before Birappa, Sangeeta had been married to another person, at the age of 12. She also gave birth to a male baby in one of the primary health centres in Hukkeri taluk. That baby also died after birth due to low weight.
"Lapses in the system are the cause of this tragedy, wherein the girl underwent sexual harassment from the age of 12. The first lapse occurred at the level of Asha workers who registered the pregnancy. The second lapse was at the level of the health department, which issued a ‘Taayi card' for the regular check-up of the pregnant girl. It is also a lapse on the part of the Child Protection Unit and society as well," said Susheela V, who registered a complaint at Kakati police station.
Speaking to the TOI, Susheela of the Spandana Association said she did not want to file the police complaint. She wanted the concerned departments to take responsibility. "When we understood that everybody was trying to hide this case, there was no option left for us except to step in personally and register a police complaint. Earlier, we met Belagavi DC Mohammad Roshan and DCP (crime) Niranjan Raje Urs. Apart from this, I wrote letters to the Child Rights Commission, Human Rights Commission, and National Commission for Women. I hope the authorities concerned will take the case to a logical end," she stated.
Will take action, says Hebbalkar
When contacted, the women and child welfare minister Laxmi Hebbalkar said: "It is a serious matter, and my department will take action immediately. I will instruct the deputy director and the child development project officer (CDPO) concerned immediately to make a spot visit and rescue the girl. We will take care of the girl up to the age of 18," she said.
DCP (crime) Niranjan Raje Urs said a case has been registered. The girl's first husband, second husband, and parents of both sides will fall under the case as accused. It is a serious case since it involves child marriage and the Pocso Act. The case has been registered under IPC 1860, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, and under Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act 2012.