In a shocking revelation, families of minor girls in Kelamangalam block, Krishnagiri district, have allegedly been tampering with Aadhaar birth details to avoid legal action in child marriage cases. In the last six months, six such cases have surfaced, all linked to underage pregnant girls whose Aadhaar records were manipulated to show them as adults.
The Health Department, using Tamil Nadu’s PICME (Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation) portal, detected discrepancies in the registered age versus Aadhaar-linked data. PICME helps track pregnancies through unique IDs and Aadhaar seeding.
In one glaring case, a 14-year-old girl—married to a 29-year-old man—was flagged when she tried to register her pregnancy at Nagamangalam PHC. While PICME showed her real age as 14, her Aadhaar card indicated she was 20. Upon questioning, her husband confessed to changing the Aadhaar details at a Denkanikottai browsing centre for just ₹200.
Officials said fake Aadhaar cards were being issued for ₹500 at local browsing centres and photo studios, sometimes with the support of health staff. A health worker in Bettamugilalam was recently terminated for aiding such fraud.
Dr C. Rajesh Kumar, Kelamangalam Block Medical Officer, confirmed inspections at implicated centres are underway. Krishnagiri DHO Dr G Ramesh Kumar added that all health personnel are being sensitised to avoid complicity.
A staggering 545 teenage pregnancies were recorded in the district over the past year—highest in Shoolagiri, Krishnagiri rural, and Kelamangalam. Collector C Dinesh has ordered a probe into the incidents.