Patna: The mandap was ready and wedding rituals were about to begin when the police landed in time to rescue a 15-year-old from becoming a bride in Katihar's Phulwaria village on Monday night.

Local activist's interventi-on helped stop Dipa Kumari from being married off to a 31-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh. "Wedding rituals were to begin in an hour when the police arrived and stopped the marriage," said Hemant Kumar, block in-charge of non-government organisation Bhoomika Vihar. "The police took Parashuram, the groom, into custody. He had come with a friend, who, however, fled. The girl and her mother were taken to a police station for interrogation."

Hemant and his team were able to lodge an FIR around 11pm. "In her statement, the girl accepted her parents were forcibly marrying her off," Hemant said. "She provided her Aadhaar card as proof she was 15. Neither the girl nor her mother mentioned it but some residents alleged the groom had given Rs 20,000 to the girl's parents. Money changing hands was not mentioned in the FIR as the girl or her family members did not disclose it."

Hemant said some residents informed him about the wedding. Without wasting time, he reached Kodha police station to inform the police. "We're happy the police acted swiftly and stopped the wedding from taking place. The chief minister's anti-child marriage campaign is showing results," Hemant said.

A Kodha police offical said sections of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, were slapped on the groom. "We got information last (Monday) night that a child marriage was to take place ," the policeman said on condition of anonymity. "We reached the spot and arrested the would-be groom."

"There were fears a mob will attack our team," Bhoomika Vihar director Shilpi Singh said. "I'd personally texted the deputy superintendent of police, but thankfully there weren't any protests."

She said the groom claimed he had arable land and property in Kannauj, UP, and was capable of taking care of the girl.