Phulbani: Police and child rights activists stopped the marriage of a 17-year-old girl with a 25-year-old man in contravention of legal provisions in Kandhamal.

The bride was rescued from the marriage altar at the far-flung Sadiaga village and was rehabilitated at a short-stay home following provisions of the Juvenile Justice Protection Act.

The teenager would be lodged there till her parents give a written undertaking that she would not be married till she turned 18, said chairman, Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Ramkant Sahu.

The groom and his family fled the wedding venue minutes before the arrival of the officials. Cases have been registered against the groom and his parents. Khajuriapada police station inspector Anita Kiddo said the cops were looking for them.

"The marriage of a man younger than 21 and a woman 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 bride in the particular case was 17 years old and was not legally permitted to get married. The groom was 25 years old. He was not entitled to marry a minor bride," said the police officer.

Kharuriapada child development programme officer Sushila Pradhan said a section of the villagers, who weren't aware of the legal provisions, had opposed the officials when they stopped the marriage from being solemnised.

Child marriage is still prevalent in several pockets of Kandhamal district. Poverty, coupled with ignorance of illiterate parents, has all contributed to the existence of this practice.

The prevalence of the child marriage practice is more pronounced in the tribal-populated areas of the district. It has been found in that one in three marriages taking place in the tribal communities are underage or child marriages.

"It's refreshing to note that child protection units and police acting in tandem have managed to stop over a dozen of child marriages in the district in the past eight months," she said, adding that most of the women and girl child development programmes launched by the government were aimed at curbing child marriages. In tribal areas, girls' hostels have been opened to accommodate tribal girls so that they can continue their education.