UMERKOT: Police on Monday took into custody an underage bride, bridegroom and their parents in Dhoronaro, 29 kilometres from here, for breaking the law against marriage of underage girls. The bride is said to be 13 years old and the groom 51 years old.

SSP Rukhsar Ahmed Khawar formed a special team comprising two DSPs and in-charge of CIA to stop the marriage.

The team cordoned off the area and arrested the wedding party when they were leaving the area on a truck after solemnising the marriage.

They were identified as 13-year-old bride Shabiran daughter of Bashir Manganhar of Fazul Chopan village near Dhoronaro and 51-year-old bridegroom Juma of Chak 123 of Rahimyar Khan, Punjab, and others.

The girl’s father said that he was unaware of any law against marriage of underage girls but ruled out the sale of his daughter.

He said that he too was shocked to see that the bridegroom was much older than his daughter but he could not do anything because his father had decided the wedlock.

Police, however, believed the parents had knowingly married off the girl to an old man for the sake of money.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2016