GANESH PRABHU, The Hindu

A 14-year-old girl from a village about 15 km from Udupi district, who feared her parents would get her married, is now in the custody of an institution in Mangalore, thanks to the intervention of Childline.

Rita Madtha, Deputy Director of the Department of Women and Child Welfare, said on Tuesday that the Mangalore Childline had sent a letter regarding the matter to the Deputy Commissioner of Udupi district, M.T. Reju, about a week ago.

Following this, Ms. Madtha, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) Sadananda and her staff went to the school where the minor was writing an exam. The team spoke to the girl and her parents, who gave a written undertaking that they would not conduct the marriage.

A twist

Mangalore Staff Correspondent writes:

Dakshina Kannada Child Welfare Committee Chairperson Asha Nayak said the girl was found in the Mangalore bus-stand on Monday evening. She was produced before the CWC and they put her in an institution for children. Ms. Nayak said that the girl gave a statement to the CWC giving details of the circumstances that made her leave her house.