More marriages than people in Gujarat village: AAP MLA alleges trafficking racket

Drawing attention to a serious concern over trafficking of young women in Panchmahal and other Gujarat districts, AAP MLA of Gujarat submitted a representation to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Italia alleged that a village in Panchmahal has marriage registrations outnumbering the total population of village. 

He wrote, “for instance, when a girl from Sabarkantha was trapped and taken away, a Talati in Amreli accepted money and registered the marriage. Shockingly, one Talati registered as many as 1,800 marriages. In one village of Panchmahal, more marriages were registered than the total population of the village. Clearly, a marriage registration scam is underway.”

The AAP MLA noted that due to increasing awareness, the girls are not being married off as soon as they turn 18, however, in such trafficking cases, marriages are registered as soon as the girls turn 18.

Italia alleged that this loophole is exploited by the traffickers as they get the victim young women to register a marriage once they turn legal age. Therefore, according to him, the legal marriage age for girls should be 21, he suggested.

He also suggested a law to ensure that marriage registration takes place only in the village of the girl’s residence, based on her proof of address.

Alleging that a marriage registration scam is taking place across the state, the representation further highlighted that suspicious registrations are happening in many villages. 

According to Italia, a terrifying conspiracy of abducting minor girls is unfolding, and the state government needs to take strict legal measures. There is also a suspicion that mafias might be involved in trapping these girls—since as soon as they turn 18, within just a day or two, or within a month, someone takes them away. These people are also being paid, given protection, and taken to distant villages where marriage registrations are carried out. In this entire scam, Talatis have come under  suspicion for carrying out registration of such marriages.