Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the Jabalpur District Court to implement strict guidelines to prevent child marriages.
Following these instructions, the District Court has ordered marriage garden owners, hotel operators, and priests to verify the age of the bride and groom before conducting any wedding ceremonies.
The initiative was taken after the incidents of child marriages were reported. The order was passed under Section 13 of the Child Marriage Prohibition Act.
Senior Judge D.P. Sutrakar issued the guidelines, stating that no wedding in Jabalpur can take place without verifying age-related documents such as birth certificates. The minimum legal age for marriage is 21 years for grooms and 18 years for brides. Non-compliance will lead to a two-year prison sentence and a fine of ₹1 lakh.
Documents should be checked
The order stated that no marriage ceremony can be held in Jabalpur without verifying the age of the bride and groom.
Additionally, employees of marriage gardens, hotel operators, and priests have been instructed to check the birth certificates and other documents of the bride and groom before organizing the marriage.
According to the documents, the groom’s age must be at least 21 years, and the bride’s age must be at least 18 years.
Otherwise, suo motu cognizance will be taken against them for the crime of conducting a child marriage ritual, which is a non-bailable offense.
