Phulbani: Marriages of two minor girls was stopped by police and child rights activists at Gochapada village in Kandhamal district.

Both the marriages were stopped midway before the rituals ended. "As it was a case of unlawful child marriage we were forced to intervene," said district child protection officer Rashmita Karan.

The parents of both the groom and bride were asked to stop the marriage. "They initially opposed as they were not aware of the legal provisions which bar marriage of minors. Later, the unwilling parents relented and the unlawful marriage was prevented," Karan said.

The brides were 13 and 14-year-old, respectively while the grooms had attained the marriageable age of 21. The brides were not legally permitted to marry, said the district child protection officer.

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

"A section of local residents had informed us about the minor's marriages and sought our intervention to stop it. We stopped the marriages with timely help from district child protection unit," said director of Childline Rabindranath Panda.

"The practice of child marriage is still prevalent in Kandhamal district. Poverty coupled with ignorance of illiterate parents has contributed for prevalence of this illegal practice," Panda said.