Child Marriage: NHRC Takes Suo moto, Issues Notice To Maharashtra Government

The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a newspaper article highlighting the malpractice of child marriage prevailing in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra due to which a large number of women are forced to lead a miserable life.

NHRC also issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, and the District Collectors of Jalna, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad, and Beed in the State, calling for a detailed report in the matter including the steps taken/ proposed to be taken to address the issue raised in the news report.

The response from the authorities is expected at the earliest but not later than 6 weeks from the issuance of these orders, it added

NHRC in its Press Statment said that the Commission has observed that the contents of the article about the plight of the victims of child marriages, if true, amount to a violation of human rights relating to their life, liberty, dignity, and equality of the poor people especially, the women in the Marathwada region.

The Commission has also asked its Special Rapporteur, Mr. P.N. Dixit to visit the Marathwada region; collect data, make an in-depth study of the problem of child marriage and suggest measures within 3 months for better implementation of the law in force, it added.