Ward panch marries 6-yr-old girl in Raj

Jaipur: In a shocking incident, a 35-year- old elected representative of Gangrar Panchayat Samiti allegedly married a 6-year-old girl earlier this week, officials of Chittorgarh district said today.

District Collector Ved Prakash and SP Chittorgarh Prasanna Kumar Khamesara said the administration came to know about the incident, which prima facie appears to be a case of child marriage, when a picture of the wedding began circulating on WhatsApp yesterday.

"Ratan Jat, the Ward Panch of Gangrar Panchayat, had allegedly solemnised marriage with the 6-year-old girl secretly at Pandoli or Soniana village earlier this week," Khamesara said, adding, both the families fled the area soon after the ceremony.

Yesterday, a team of district officials from medical and health, Child Development Office led by Sub-Division Officer prepared a report on the basis of which an FIR would soon be filed with Gangarar police station against the accused Ward Panch and family of the minor girl, the SP said.

The case would be lodged under provisions of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, he said.

District Collector Ved Prakash said a case would also be filed in the local court on Monday to declare the marriage null and void.

Villagers were tight-lipped about the incident, the collector said, quoting the report.

The SP said that since Jat is an elected representative of the Panchayat Samiti, he would be traced soon.