Court stops a 14-year-old girl from married off

Days after a minor Muslim girl's marriage and divorce sparked a public outcry in Kerala, a court today intervened to stop the marriage of a 14-year-old girl from the community which was to be held here on Monday.
Acting on an application from Jessy Manat, Child Development Project officer, Mattanur, seeking prohibition of the marriage which was to take place at Keecheri, the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Anit Joseph, passed the order.
The court said from the records she was satisfied that the proposed marriage was to be held in violation of provision of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2007 and in the interest of justice, the marriage was being prohibited.

"Any violation of the order shall be punishable as per law", the Magistrate held.
The Muslim girl is studying in a high school in Dubai and her parents are also settled there. The groom hails from Keecheri.
The Childline officials in Kannur came to know about the impending marriage and informed the Child Development Project Officer, who in turn made enquiries and found it to be true.

The development comes days after a 17-year-old girl from Malappuram district, who was forcibly married off to a UAE national in July, was divorced.
The UAE national's mother, who hails from Kozhikode, her second husband and another relative have been arrested. The groom, Jasim Mohammed Abdul Kareem, who hails from Ras al-Khaimah, is the first accused in the case.

Five officials of the orphanage, of which the girl was an inmate, have also been arraigned as accused in the case.