16-yr-old’s parents, in-laws booked in child marriage case

Pune: The district Women and Child Welfare Department has registered an FIR with the Bibvewadi police after a 16-year-old girl from the area was married off in violation of the law.The police have booked the minor's family members and those of the youth she married from Sangamner in Ahilyanagar district. The wedding took place in Dec 2025.The case came to light on April 2 following a complaint on Child Helpline's 1098 number. Officials said preliminary verification of the complaint was done and subsequent checks, including school records, confirmed that the girl was underage.Authorities said the inquiry indicated that the child marriage wan knowingly conducted. Based on the findings, a case was registered under Sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.District officials from the Women and Child Development Department, including district officer Rohini Dhawale, child development project officer Sudhir Dhakane, and district child protection officer Mangesh Jadhav coordinated the action.Jadhav said that since last Jan, authorities have prevented 41 child marriages and registered 13 FIRs. "Most cases reported in Pune are from rural areas and involve migrant workers from other districts," he added.Blurb Many more cases go unreported as people are either unaware of the mechanisms or fear revealing their identity. Officials have urged citizens to report instances of child marriage by calling the toll-free Child Helpline 1098, assuring confidentiality of informants