Patna: Three grooms have been arrested and sent to jail in Bihar after they were caught marrying child brides, in flagrant violation of existing laws.

The arrests are the first in the state since the state government launched a formal campaign against child marriage last month.

The grooms, all adults, were arrested from a village in Bihar’s Aurangabad district at the weekend.

 The grooms hailed from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. The police also arrested their parents as well as a priest who was conducting the marriage rituals.


They hailed from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. The police also arrested their parents as well as a priest who was conducting the marriage rituals.

Acting on a report that the grooms were busy solemnising their marriages to three minor girls, a police team rushed to the spot and made the arrests.

Subsequently, they were taken to the nearby Nabinagar police station in their wedding attire and crowns still on their heads and then forwarded to jail after basic legal formalities were completed at the police station.

Police said all the arrested grooms belonged to one family while the rescued child brides belonged to two different families.

“We have taken the matter very seriously and now plan to speedily try the case,” Aurangabad district superintendent of police Dr Satyabrat told the media today. He said the police were committed to strictly enforce laws to check child marriages.

The arrest comes a month after the state government launched a vigorous campaign against dowry and child marriages last month on October 2 to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and also announced to form a human chain to create masses awareness.

Child marriages remain a matter of serious concern in Bihar notwithstanding the laws against it with the percentage of under-age marriages touching as high as 50 per cent in 340 blocks, says a new study conducted by an NGO Gender Alliance.

“While the average for Bihar (in child marriage) is 39.1 per cent, our study found that there are 340 blocks where this percentage is above the state’s average. The highest probability of child marriage is in Ghoswari block under Patna district with 66.81 per cent, while the lowest probability is 11.81 per cent for Lahladpur block under Saran district,” said the report released in September this year.