When 17-year-old Shyamli (name changed) from Cooch Behar, West Bengal, was promised by her family that she would only be engaged to someone but not married till she wished for it, the innocent minor girl believed every word that was said.
But she soon found out that none of this was to come true. The underage girl was sold off and forcibly married to a 33-year-old man in Jaipur, who continued to sexually assault her every night for the next three days. Traumatised by her ordeal, she ran away from her house and spent a night at a park.
With nowhere to go, Shyamli approached the child helpline office the next morning where an official of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) was also present.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan was founded by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi and has been on a mission to make India child marriage free.
When the girl shared what she was going through, the BBA team sprang into action and accompanied her to the police station to lodge a complaint.
An FIR was registered under various sections of The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The traumatised girl was also counselled by the BBA team.
The girl said that the man would physically and sexually assault her every night, while the family would force her to do daily house chores in the day.
"Meanwhile, my sister-in-law posted my videos and pictures on social media announcing the marriage. I was troubled by all these so I decided to leave the house," the girl said in the FIR.
She mustered all the courage she could and stepped out. The girl has now been safely shifted to a childcare home.
"Our mission is to make every child free, safe and educated. Child marriage is an evil that cannot be tolerated at any cost, and we will leave no stone unturned in making this dream a reality," said Dhananjay Tingal, Executive Director, BBA.
The case has been registered at the Jawahar Circle police station and further investigation is underway.
Their sacrifice shining example of valour, commitment to one’s values: PM Modi's tribute to Sahibzades
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, paid tributes to Sahibzades on the occasion of Veer Baal Diwas and prayed that they always "guide us towards building a more just and compassionate society".
Netanyahu warns Houthis as Israel reportedly mulls new airstrike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Houthi forces in Yemen would face consequences similar to those experienced by other anti-Israel groups.
Andhra CM Naidu meets PM Modi, seeks special financial assistance
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some Central ministers including Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi on Wednesday, seeking special financial assistance from the Centre.
IMD and TU signs MoU for indigenous lightning detection system development
In a significant step towards enhancing India's capabilities in weather monitoring and research, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Department of Physics, Tripura University.
Tripura Chief Minister hails Officers for promoting transparency in governance
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today said that officers in the state government are playing a key role in making the administration corruption-free which is an example of Good Governance.
NEC Plenary to usher development for Tripura: CM
Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today said that the recently held Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) will greatly benefit the state and other North Eastern states; as such meetings will bring more development works to this region.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seizes drug items worth Rs 56.525 Cr this December; 15 persons detained
In a major crackdown on the smuggling and trafficking of contraband narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) carried out a focused operation in the month of December 2024 in the North Eastern Region.
CPI(M) opts for young leaders in Tripura, chooses 87 pc new faces in divisional committees
Around 87 per cent of new faces were elected as secretaries in the CPI(M)’s Divisional Committees in Tripura replacing old guards, a party leader said here on Tuesday.