Ban on child marriage applies to all, irrespective of religion: Kerala High Court
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, is applicable to all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation. The court stressed on the responsibility of every individual to alert the child marriage prohibition officer if they become aware of any child marriage.
This ruling came as the court dismissed a petition filed by Moidutty Musliyar of Puthukode and four others, who sought to quash a criminal case against them under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. The prosecution alleged that the first accused had conducted the marriage of his minor daughter to the second accused in accordance with Islamic religious tenets and rites.
The third and fourth accused are the president and secretary of the Hidayathul Islam Juma Masjid Mahal committee. The case was registered following a complaint from a member of the Muslim community.
The petitioners argued that the first petitioner’s daughter, being a Muslim, had the religious right to marry upon reaching puberty, which they claimed was at the age of 15. However, the court rejected this contention, reiterating that the Act applies universally.
The court also highlighted the role of print and visual media as platforms to amplify voices against child marriage.
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Bridge portion collapses on Jammu outskirts; 3-4 labourers feared trapped, 1 rescued
Jammu (PTI): A portion of a small bridge collapsed in the Bantalab area on the outskirts of Jammu city on Friday, trapping at least three to four labourers under the debris, while one injured worker was rescued, official sources said.
Authorities have closed the road link following the collapse of the portion of the bridge.
The incident occurred when labourers were carrying out repair work on a retaining wall near the bridge that was damaged in last year's flash floods, the sources said.
According to the sources, a section of the bridge suddenly gave way, burying workers engaged at the site under the rubble.
Police, Army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams launched rescue operations to extricate those buried under the debris. They pulled out one injured labourer and shifted him to a hospital, the sources said.
Family members of the labourers present at the site said around six workers engaged at the site at the time of the incident came under the debris when the structure collapsed. The family members said while two of the labourers managed to escape, four got trapped.
The sources said those trapped included the husband of a woman labourer, a mason, an unmarried labourer and a relative of the contractor.
There was no official confirmation on the exact number of persons trapped under the debris till the filing of this report.
The rescue operations are ongoing.
