Kendrapara, May 20: A bid to marry off a minor girl at Kajalapatia village under Jamboo marine police station jurisdiction was averted, thanks to the timely intervention of rights activists.

Initially, the parents of both the groom and the bride refused to budge, as they were not aware of legal provisions that bars marriage of minors. Later, they relented and the marriage was called of. Both the families agreed to wait till the girl attains the right age, said the protection officer of district child protection unit, Badal Das.

Though the groom was 25-year-old, the bride was only 16-year-old and underage for marriage, said the official.

"According to law, marriage of a boy less than 21 and girl below 18 is a crime under The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 that calls for two years of rigorous imprisonment or Rs 1 lakh fine or both," said a police officer.

"Since the parents agreed to call off the marriage, the police have not filed any case," said the IIC of Jamboo police station Sukadev Das."

"A section of residents of the remote village informed us of the marriage and sought our intervention. We took the help of the local police to prevent it. Child marriage is prevalent in seaside villages of Mahakalpada tehsil. Poverty coupled with ignorance of parents have contributed to the prevalence of this illegal practice. Ironically, majority of parents are unaware of legal provisions, which is a cognisable offence, said child rights' activist Binyak Swain.