Coordination between frontline workers, officials rescues minor girl before her wedding in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: A prompt, coordinated response by field staff under the ‘Just Right for Children’ initiative helped stop a child marriage in Subhash Colony, Rudrapur, the district headquarters of Udham Singh Nagar, on Sunday evening.While conducting a door-to-door survey, Anganwadi worker Madhuri Sharma noticed a minor girl was missing. Upon inquiry, neighbours and the girl’s mother revealed she had been taken to Rampur by her maternal cousin for a wedding scheduled later that day.Sensing the urgency, Sharma alerted Binduvasini, project director at the Institute of Social Development about the situation.The girl had dropped out after Class 6, and her age was unclear. With no documents at hand, the team contacted chief education officer K S Rawat, who shared her school records, confirming she was underage.Binduvasini then promptly informed police at the Adarsh Colony Outpost, Childline 1098, and emergency service 112 about the case. The team rushed to the wedding venue in Haldwani but found the girl had already been taken away in a car toward Rudrapur.Undeterred, Binduvasini and local police tracked down the relatives and safely brought the girl to the station. “The groom and his uncle have been taken for questioning, while the girl has been handed over to her family under protective supervision,” said SI M Khatri of the police outpost.“This intervention proves that community vigilance can save lives,” said Binduvasini. “I urge people to report such cases to 1098 or 112 without delay.”