Khaira (Jamui): Khaira police in Maoist-hit Jamui have warned local-level public representatives with dire consequences if they don't help them in the fight against social evils such as child marriage.

Khaira police station house officer Daljit Jha recently asked mukhiyas, sarpanchs and ward members among other public representatives not to hide incidents like child marriage in their respective areas and inform police immediately. "Before booking the relatives or the family members of any child, police will first take action against public representatives of that village," he told reporters on Monday.

Jha and his men swung into action on the night of March 3 with the news of two children from Tariyatard village under the jurisdiction of Khaira police station being married off.

"We had information that the family members of a 10-year-old boy had fixed his marriage with a six-year-old girl from Chananwar village. Similarly, another boy from the village was about to be married off with a minor girl at Kowakol in neighbouring Nawada district," he said.

Police nabbed several people, including the family members of the minor bridegroom and priests of the village who were busy conducting the marriage rituals. "However, some were later set free from the police station after bonds were furnished," Jha said.

"Only prompt action can spread awareness against child marriage," he said.

Purushattam, a social activist said child marriage was very common in these areas and cited illiteracy, rampant poverty and insecurity among parents of girls as the prime reason behind the trend. According to him, on January 10 this year, some villagers had alerted Khaira police over phone about the marriage of a girl child at Ganti Bishanpur and hence, the marriage was postponed.

Jamui district magistrate Koushal Kishore appreciated the police action and told reporters that such action can help stop child marriage as well as have a positive impact on society. "Such action will strengthen the government's anti-child marriage campaign."

Deputy inspector-general of police, Bhagalpur police zone, Vikash Vaibhav, who holds additional charge of Munger police zone, however, raised questions about the police's role in punishing local public representatives in case of child marriage in their areas.

"Let me verify whether police is entitled to take action against local level public representatives or not in such cases. Like police, they should remain alert in countering such social evils. They can easily coordinate police-public relations to counter child marriage and other social sins," he told The Telegraph.