Judge M Vijay Calls for Eradication of Child Marriage

CHITRADURGA

Senior civil judge and District Legal Services Authority Member Secretary M Vijay called for the authorities to work hard to eradicate the increasing cases of POCSO and child marriage cases in the district. He was speaking after inaugurating a workshop on the Women and Child Trafficking Prevention Watch Committee and the Child Marriage Prohibition Act as part of the Anti-Human Trafficking Day celebration in the city's Zilla Panchayat Hall on Wednesday.

District and taluk level officials should provide appropriate guidance to the officers and staff working at the village level in their jurisdiction. Judge M Vijay said that officers should participate in meetings on children's gram sabhas, women and child protection, and try to eradicate the scourge of POCSO and child marriage at the village level so that cases do not occur.

“There is a lack of coordination among village level officials. Even after three-four days of the incident, the officials do not take appropriate legal action. In some cases, it has been seen that higher officials are being neglected without informing them. Judge M. Vijay warned that action will be taken as per the law by holding direct responsibility against the officers who do not report the cases and are negligent in future. Human trafficking has many faces, and in the current year, more than 2 lakh women and children have been protected from the trafficking network in the country,” said Judge M. Vijay.

District Child Protection Officer AM Veena, Deputy Secretary of the District Magistrate Dr Rangaswamy, Deputy Director of the Department of Women and Child Development KH Vijayakumar, Additional District Superintendent of Police Umesh Easwaranaik, DDPU K Thimmaiah, DDPI MR Manjunath, Child Welfare Committee President P Sheela, Labour Officer Balachandra Bagati, District Disabled Welfare Officer J Vaishali were present.