Police book UAE national and orphanage

A UAE national who had married a minor girl forcibly was among 10 persons against whom police have registered cases even as pro-women activists and political leaders today voiced outrage, demanding action.
Cases were registered yesterday under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act-2006, the Juvenile Justice Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, police said.
The 17-year-old girl, studying in an orphanage run by a social service organisation, was married to UAE national Jasim Mohammed Abdul Kareem on June 13, who divorced her two months after the marriage.
Cases have also been booked against Kareem's mother and the authorities of the Kozhikode-based orphanage, police said, adding, they have transferred the case to Chemmangad police in Kozhikode district where the offence took place for further probe.

The police action came in the wake of a directive by the State Human Rights Commission to the State Police chief and Social Justice Department to probe the matter and submit the report.
The girl had also sent her complaint to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Kerala Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Union Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran and Union Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed, today.
The girl filed a complaint before the Child Welfare Committee, alleging that the orphanage authorities forced her to marry the UAE national who deserted her after spending 17 days with her.

Women activists, political leaders and NGOs in Kerala, who expressed outrage over the girl's plight, demanded a legislation to check the social menace of 'Arabi Kalyanam' (Arab wedding), in which minor Muslim girls are forced into marriage with Arab nationals.