Three-month jail term for child marriage

BANGALORE: The performers and abettors of child marriages may get at least three months of imprisonment along with hefty fine if the Centre acts on the recommendations made by a committee to check the menace of child labour.The core committee headed by retired SC Judge Shivaraj Patil in its report submitted to the state government on Thursday, has asked the latter to impress upon the Centre to get the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 amended to ensure at least three months imprisonment for those who support or perform child marriages.In the existing Act, the accused are liable for two years of imprisonment or `1 lakh fine. Most of the accused pay fine and escape from imprisonment.“If we make imprisonment compulsory, it will act as a deterrent and child marriages can be stopped effectively,” Patil said.The committee has also recommended to fix a deadline of 30 days for registration of marriages to check the menace of child marriage.Though, the Karnataka Marriages (Registration and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act makes the registration of marriages compulsory, it proposes no action against those who do not register their marriage.