Teen couple told to stay apart for 5 yrs

Kurnool: A newly wed teen couple have to wait for another five more years to lead a happy marital life together. This is because a peculiar marriage took place at Upparhal village in Kowthalam mandal on April 26 in which, a 16-year-old boy was married to a 23-year-old woman.

On learning about the incident, Joint Collector S Ramaswamy and Assistant Project Director of Child and Women Welfare department, P Vijaya rushed to the village. As they came to know about the incident, they advised the village sarpanch to apprehend the couple and hand them over as the marriage was illegal.

However, the couple was caught and produced before District Collector S Satyanarayana on Tuesday where they have been given extended counselling. Project Director P Vijaya, speaking to The Hans India here on Tuesday said that the marriage was unnatural. We have come across several incidents in which minor girls were married to elderly men but in this case, a minor boy was married to a 23-year-old woman.

It is very unjust one, she stated. As it was not possible to dissolve the marriage, the officials advised the parents of the couple to keep them apart till the teenaged boy attains the age of 21 years. The boy will stay at his parents’ house while she at her parents’ house.

The boy would have to be kept at a juvenile home, but the parents were reluctant. The couple was advised to present themselves before the police and revenue department officials on every Saturday to certify that were staying apart. After the boy attains 21 years, they could be reunited and live together, added P Vijaya.