Despite so much awareness, child marriage is still a prevalent issue in India. A 15-year-old who was being forcefully married off by her parents managed to stop it by calling the child helpline just in time. The Class 10 student was supposed to attend her last exam but her parents did not allow her to go because it was the day of her wedding. Her parents were getting her married to a 21-year-old boy at 11.20 am on the same day, when she called the child helpline number 109 about two hours before the scheduled wedding time. The courageous act by the girl to stop her marriage is being lauded by everyone. Mumbai Woman Who ‘Married’ 17-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Sexual Assault.

Child welfare authorities and the officials of She Team from Rachakonda police reached the spot in an hour and stopped the marriage. A local child right activist Achyuta Rao found out about the issue and alerted the police. He works with a NGO Balala Hakkula Sangham. He told The News Minute, "We quickly alerted the police and were able to rescue her. She told us that she is interested in studying but her parents were against it." The groom was a close relative of the girl's family. National Conference to Discuss End of Child Marriages in India.

When the authorities arrived, there was confusion over the girl's age as the parents claimed she wasn't a minor. They claimed she was 18 years old but the official documents from school records showed that she was a minor indeed. The girl's parents were produced before the Mandal Revenue Officer and were warned against repeating the crime. Inspector M Mahesh informed, "The girl’s parents claimed that they were having health issues and wanted to get her married before they die." The girl has been rescued and sent to a shelter home. It is indeed sad that despite creating much awareness about educating girls and empowering them, a situation like this exists. But it is commendable that the girl was courageous and called the helpline in time.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 31, 2019 01:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).