Karnataka records 55% drop in child marriages among girls, 88% among boys: Study
Bengaluru: Karnataka has recorded one of the most sharpest declines in child marriages in the country, with a 55% drop in cases involving girls and an 88% decline among boys over the past three years, according to a new study cited by The Hindu.
The report titled "Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India", was released by Just Rights for Children (JRC), a coalition of over 250 non-governmental organisations. It attributes the sharp decline to awareness campaigns, stronger legal deterrence, and community-level interventions that created trust in reporting mechanisms.
The study, which spanned 757 villages across five states, noted a 69% reduction in child marriages among girls and a 72% drop among boys in India. Assam registered the steepest fall among girls at 84%, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (70% each), and Rajasthan (66%).
Among the 92% of respondents surveyed, awareness campaigns were identified as the most effective tool in combating child marriage, followed by legal action such as FIRs and arrests (50%).
Notably, Karnataka’s success stands out for its reliance on community-based systems rather than law enforcement as the primary channel for reporting child marriages. According to the report, 75% of cases in the state were reported through helplines, and 53% through Child Welfare Committees, compared to just 40% through police stations.
This shift, the report notes, reflects a “critical link between trust in community-based systems and action against child marriage,” highlighting the importance of grassroots engagement.
A major policy initiative credited with the decline is the state government's decision to empower Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) to register marriages. Their accessibility in villages allowed PDOs to both raise awareness and take preventive action—stopping nearly 2,000 child marriages in 2021 alone, the report noted.
Furthermore, Karnataka became the first state in India to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act to make even engagements involving minors a punishable offence.
Building on such legislative progress, the report recommends further measures including stricter enforcement of the law, mandatory registration of all marriages, and broader dissemination of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat portal. Additionally, it recommends the designation of a National Day Against Child Marriage to help mobilise public support and drive collective action towards achieving a child marriage-free India by 2030.
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'Contract killing' plot busted in Thane; victim's brother among four held
Thane (PTI): The Thane police have uncovered a "contract killing" plot and arrested four persons, including the victim's younger brother, who allegedly hired the assailants and lodged the complaint to mislead investigators and hide his role in the murder, officials said on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Paresh Tolaram Patil (40), was hacked to death on May 12 over a property dispute, and his brother allegedly paid Rs 10 lakh to the contract killers, an official said.
The same day, Naresh Tolaram Patil (37), an auto-rickshaw driver residing in the Bhiwandi area of Maharashtra's Thane district, lodged a police complaint alleging that his elder brother Paresh had been murdered by unidentified persons.
According to Naresh, his brother was riding his motorcycle to work at Vasai in neighbouring Palghar district when the unidentified assailants intercepted him and assaulted him with sharp weapons, in-charge Superintendent of Police Anmol Mittal said.
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Following the complaint, the Ganeshpuri police registered a case of murder on May 13.
The investigation teams examined several CCTV recordings along the suspected escape routes and used advanced technical surveillance.
The police then traced the registration plate of a vehicle allegedly used by the assailants, leading to the arrest of three alleged contract killers -- Rakesh Bhagwan Patil (37), Premjit Madhukar Gharat (38), and Daksh Bhanukant Bhoir (24) -- from Palghar, the official said.
"During intense interrogation, the three persons confessed to their involvement in the killing. They revealed that the plot was masterminded by the victim's brother, Naresh Patil, who had lodged the initial police complaint to misguide the law enforcement agencies," he said.
According to the official, Naresh Patil confessed to hatching the conspiracy due to an ongoing property dispute with his elder brother and that he had offered Rs 10 lakh to the three accused to eliminate Paresh.
Naresh Patil has also been arrested, and a further probe is underway into the case, they added.
