The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to provide details regarding the appointment of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPO) in the state. The court has requested the government to submit an affidavit addressing the following aspects:
The number of CMPOs appointed by the State of Maharashtra.
- Whether the current number of officers is sufficient or if additional officers are required.
- Information on the 821 marriages reportedly prohibited by CMPOs between 2018 and 2022, including details such as FIR (First Information Report) records.
- According to the Maharashtra Prohibition of Child Marriage Rules, CMPOs are responsible for providing regular updates on prevented or reported child marriages. The court wants to know if any disciplinary action has been taken against CMPOs who fail to fulfill their duties.
- The State government has been given a deadline of August 2, 2023, to file the affidavit containing the requested information. The court emphasized the importance of appointing an adequate number of officers and ensuring strict supervision of their performance, considering the crucial role they play.
These directions were issued in response to a public interest litigation filed by advocate Ajinkya Udane, which raised concerns about child marriages in Maharashtra and the alleged non-implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA). The plea sought the framing and implementation of rules to effectively enforce the PCMA.
During the court proceedings, Government Pleader PP Kakade informed the Court that rules under the PCMA were framed and notified on October 21, 2022. The bench acknowledged that these rules impose significant duties on the child marriage prohibition officers, including granting them powers to take action on complaints related to child marriages.
Name- Divya Choudhary , College- National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi., Semester-2nd semester (1ST Year), an intern under Legal Vidhiya.
