NCPCR seeks report from Bengal government on child marriage

Kolkata (IANS)| The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sent a notice to the West Bengal government seeking an explanation on allegations of negligence by the state authorities with regard to complaints of child marriages in the state. Sources in the state government said the notice sought a report on action taken by authorities in 1,640 such cases whose details were missing.

Sources said the NCPCR in its notice has informed that during the 17-month period from April 2021 to September 2022, 6,733 complaints of attempted child marriage were received in West Bengal, of which 4,001 were reported during the 12-month period between April 2,732 complaints were received from April 2022 to September 2022, and the remaining between April 2021 and March 2022.

According to the NCPCR notice, out of a total of 6,733 complaints received during the 17-month period from April 2021 to September 2022, 5,093 cases were resolved, which means child marriages can be stopped.

Again, of the 5,093 resolved cases, 2,732 were during the 12-month period between April 2021 and March 2022 and the remaining 2,154 were during the remaining five-month period from April 2022 to September 2022.

According to the NCPCR, this means there are 1,640 missing case reports during the 17-month period from April 2021 to September 2022, of which 1,062 are during the 12-month period between April 2021 and March 2022 and the remaining 578 from April 2022. The rest are during a period of five months till September 2022.

Besides seeking clarification from the state government on the status of such cases for which reports are missing, the NCPCR has also directed the state director general of police to initiate legal proceedings under the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and the provisions of the Protection of Children . Sexual Offenses Act, 2012 in cases where the report is missing.

The state government has been directed to respond within 10 days from the receipt of the notice.

–IANS