KOPPAL
In a disturbing revelation, 617 cases of child pregnancy and several instances of child marriage have been reported in Koppal district within a year. The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken serious note of the issue and announced plans to initiate a voluntary case against responsible officials.
Commission Chairman K. Naganna Gowda said a formal notice would be issued to officials of concerned departments, seeking explanations on how such incidents were allowed to occur despite existing laws and preventive mechanisms. The Commission has acted after the matter came to light on social media.
Gowda emphasized that the responsibility for protecting children's rights rests with various departmental heads, including the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) and the District Health Officer (DHO). Notices will also be served to education officials, especially the DDPI, to understand how so many minors went missing from school without appropriate intervention.
The Commission plans to gather detailed information on the causes of child marriages and pregnancies, actions taken so far, and the educational and social backgrounds of the affected minors. Officials will be questioned on what preventive measures have been implemented and what follow-up has been done after such incidents.
“The Commission will also examine whether cases have been filed under the POCSO Act in situations where children below 18 years have been married or impregnated. Accountability must be fixed,” Gowda said, adding that a thorough investigation from all angles would follow.
