Child marriage victim seeks police help, appears for Class 10 exam in Maharashtra

Beed: Setting an epitome of valour and resilience, a 15-year-old girl from Maharashtra's Beed district survived the horrors of child marriage and began a new chapter in life by appearing for her Class 10 exam. The girl appeared for the Marathi subject exam on Friday under full police protection.

The minor was forced into marriage by her guardians in December 2025 with a relative based in Pune, despite her protests. After the wedding, her husband moved her to Pune, which marked the beginning of the darkest chapter of her life, an activist said.

“Her husband physically tortured her. She was also subjected to constant verbal harassment by her in-laws. However, instead of breaking under the pressure, the young girl chose to fight back against the injustice,” he said.

Shattered by the torture, she decided to fight back and courageously approached the Pune police. Her testimony led to a case being registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against 11 individuals, including her husband and in-laws, reported PTI.

The police shifted her to the 'Shakti Sadan' Swadhar Grah (rehabilitation home) in Beed. She was also provided with critical psychological support from social activists to overcome the trauma.

“On the path of her survival, she remained steadfast in her desire to complete her education. Fearing that her crucial academic year would be lost, she expressed her wish to appear for the board exams,” social activist Tatvashil Kamble said.

“The authorities recognised her grit and moved swiftly to make the necessary arrangements. On Friday, flanked by police personnel for her safety, she arrived at the examination centre and appeared for her Marathi paper,” he added.

"It is the need of the hour for such victims to join the mainstream of education and become self-reliant," Kamble said.