Phulbani: A teenage girl in Odisha’s Kandhamal has halted her marriage to a 40-year-old man by dialling the district child helpline after she was unsuccessful in convincing her parents not to force her into wedlock, officials said Monday.
The 17-year-old girl, a student of Class XI, had run off to her aunt’s place when her strong opposition to he parents’ plan of getting her married fell on deaf ears, said Shiv Shankar Behera, a member of the Kandhamal district childline.
“She continued to be pressured for marriage even at her aunt’s house, and her parents wanted her to be back in her native village for the wedding. Following this, she dialled child helpline, 1098, and sought urgent protection,” Behera said.
He said that upon receiving the call, they contacted the Sarangagarh police station, and the officials there rescued the girl from her aunt’s house.
She was initially taken to the local One-Stop Centre for safe shelter and counselling, and later handed over to the Child Welfare Committee.
“She is a meritorious student and wants to study further. We thank the girl for showing extraordinary courage,” Behera said.