Calls to Helpline 1098 foil 4 child marriages in Sambhajinagar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The District Women and Child Development Office has prevented four child marriages in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar over the past 48 hours till Monday morning, officials said, crediting timely tip-offs received through the toll-free child helpline 1098.According to authorities, three of the planned child marriages were in fringe areas of the city, while one was scheduled in a rural part of the district. Swift intervention by officials helped stop all four weddings before they could take place.District women and child development officer Mahadev Dongare said alerts were received through helpline 1098, once again underlining its importance in curbing illegal child marriages. "The information came from callers who did not wish to disclose their identity. Disclosure is not mandatory, and we acted immediately on the inputs," he said.Dongare said all the girls involved were above 16 years but below the legal marriageable age of 18. After the marriages were stopped, the girls were produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) along with their parents and were counselled. "In one case, the girl sought govt shelter, which was immediately arranged," he said.Officials said no cases were registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, as the weddings were prevented before being solemnised.All eight districts of Marathwada were put on alert ahead of Akshay Tritiya, which fell on Sunday, and has historically been used as an occasion for conducting child marriages. Data from the district office shows that between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, authorities in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district prevented 61 child marriages.Women's rights activist Bharati Biswas-Bhandekar said stronger awareness campaigns were essential."Many parents are still unaware that early marriage can cause serious physical and mental health problems for girls. Such marriages put their overall well-being at grave risk," she said.