Five child marriages were prevented in a single day in Rajasthan’s Sikar district after a court issued injunction orders under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, following coordinated action by the judiciary, police and child rights organisations.
Among those rescued were two boys aged just nine and 12 years, who were to be married to girls of similar ages under the traditional Aata-Saata (exchange marriage) practice. Another case involved a girl below the age of 18 who was allegedly being married to a 42-year-old widower.
Minor Girl’s Marriage to 42-Year-Old Widower Stopped
The intervention began after Gayatri Seva Sansthan, a partner organisation of Just Rights for Children (JRC), received information that a minor girl was being married in a village under Gokulpura Police Station.
Members of the organisation, accompanied by police, reached the village to stop the marriage. According to the organisation, the family initially claimed the girl was an adult but failed to produce valid proof of age. Her date of birth was later verified through school records, confirming that she was below the legal marriage age of 18 years.
The organisation also found that the proposed groom was a 42-year-old widower.
Three More Child Marriages Uncovered
During the intervention, the team discovered that two boys aged nine and 12 years from the same family were also scheduled to be married on July 6 under the Aata-Saata custom. The girls they were to marry were also minors of similar ages.
Acting on the information, Gayatri Seva Sansthan approached the Court of the Additional Judicial Magistrate, Sikar, seeking injunction orders under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
The court directed that none of the five children could be married before attaining the legal age of marriage, effectively preventing all five child marriages.
‘I Want to Become a Lawyer’: Rescued Boy
Following the court’s intervention, the 12-year-old boy expressed relief that his marriage had been stopped.
He said he dreams of becoming a lawyer and feared that marriage would have forced him to abandon his education and start working instead.
NGO Hails Enforcement of Child Marriage Law
Dr. Shailendra Pandya, Director of Gayatri Seva Sansthan and former member of the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said Sikar was emerging as a leading district in implementing the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
“Sikar is emerging as a leading district in the effective implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006,” he said.
He recalled that during Akshaya Tritiya earlier this year, the district had witnessed the first-ever use of court injunctions to prevent the child marriages of two girls.
“These interventions have sent a strong message that the law against child marriage is no longer confined to paper. It is now being enforced firmly and effectively,” he added.
JRC Praises Judiciary, Police and Civil Society
Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, said the successful intervention reflected growing public awareness and stronger enforcement of child marriage laws.
“India has always had strong and progressive laws to prevent child marriage, but their implementation has often lacked seriousness. Sustained awareness campaigns by NGOs are now transforming the landscape, with communities increasingly coming forward to report planned child marriages,” he said.
“Preventing five child marriages through court-issued injunctions in a single day sends a powerful message that violations of the law will not be tolerated. The collective resolve shown by the Government of Rajasthan, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and society gives us confidence that the vision of a Child Marriage-Free Rajasthan can soon become a reality,” he added.
