Sarpanches Will Be Held Accountable: Court On Rajasthan Child Marriages

The Rajasthan High Court directed the state government to ensure that no child marriages are solemnised in the state and that village heads and panchayat members would be held accountable if such marriages happened.

The court's order came on Wednesday ahead of the Akshay Tritiya festival on May 10. Several child marriages are solemnised on Akshay Tritiya in Rajasthan.

A division bench of the court, while hearing a PIL by Just Rights for Children Alliance seeking the court's intervention to prevent child marriages, noted that despite the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, child marriages are still taking place in the state.

The court said though there is a reduction in the number of child marriages due to the efforts of the authorities, a lot still needs to be done.

RP Singh, counsel for the petitioners, said a list was also provided to the court where details of child marriages scheduled in the state around Akshay Tritiya were given.

"As per Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Rules 1996, a duty is cast upon Sarpanch to restrict child marriages. Thus, as an interim measure, we would direct the state to call for the report with regard to the investigation done to prevent child marriages that have taken place in the state and also to keep a hawk eye on the list which has been annexed with the public interest litigation," the court said.

"The respondents should also ensure that no child marriages take place within the state. Sarpanch and Panch should be sensitised and informed that they will be held responsible under Section 11 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 if they negligently fail to prevent child marriages from being solemnised," the order said.

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