UP launches probe into child marriage at govt’s mass wedding

Pilibhit: Pilibhit district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh has formed a three-member committee to investigate the illegal marriage of a 13-year-old girl student of Class 8, during a mass marriage ceremony held under the Uttar Pradesh govt’s ‘Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana’ scheme.
“The committee will be headed by the sub-divisional magistrate of Kalinagar circle, Ashutosh Gupta.It will include the deputy commissioner of the District Industries Centre, Atmdev Sharma, and the block development officer of Puranpur, Arun Singh,” he said. The panel has been ordered to submit their report within a week. The probe was initiated after the girl’s mother filed a complaint with the superintendent of police, leading to the registration of an FIR against five persons, including two of her uncles , their wives and one unidentified person, on May 22.
According to the FIR, the two uncles brought the girl to her native town, Kalinagar, on Dec 20 last year, while her mother was hospitalised in Bareilly with a fractured leg. They allegedly obtained a fraudulent Aadhaar card and age certificate for the girl, enrolling her in the mass wedding scheme and receiving Rs 35,000 through fraudulent means.
The amount was to be directly transferred to the bride’s bank account.
The incident raises concerns about the role of govt machinery in the manipulation, as physical verification of applicants is a mandatory provision of the scheme. Committee head Ashutosh Gupta confirmed that investigation has begun, aiming to uncover the truth behind the illegal marriage and the alleged corruption.