A deeply distressing case has emerged from Belagavi district, where a 15-year-old girl, Sangeeta (name changed), was found to have been married twice—first at age 12 and again at 15. She gave birth to two children, both of whom tragically did not survive. To enable the second marriage, her Aadhaar card was allegedly forged to increase her age by five years.
Despite the involvement of health and child welfare departments, no action was taken, allowing these crimes to occur. It was only after NGO Spandana Association intervened that a police complaint was filed, leading to the girl’s rescue.
Investigations revealed that 26-year-old Birappa (name changed) eloped with Sangeeta last year. When she became pregnant, he falsified her Aadhaar details to obtain a ‘Taayi card’ for maternal healthcare. School records confirm her real birthdate as January 1, 2010, but the altered Aadhaar card listed it as January 1, 2005. Shockingly, before Birappa, she had been married at 12 and had a child who also died due to low birth weight.
NGO activist Susheela V blamed system failures, from Asha workers to health officials, for failing to prevent the abuse. After authorities allegedly tried to cover up the case, she escalated the matter to multiple commissions.
Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar assured swift action, while police have registered a case under child marriage and POCSO laws, holding both husbands and families accountable.
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