Section 12 of PCMA : Section 12: Marriage Of A Minor Child To Be Void In Certain Circumstances

Explanation using Example

Imagine a scenario where a 15-year-old girl named Priya is living with her aunt and uncle after her parents passed away. One day, a man named Rohan, who is known to her uncle, comes to their house and convinces her uncle that he will provide Priya with a good life and education if she marries him. Trusting Rohan, her uncle agrees, and Priya is taken to another town where she is married to Rohan in a small ceremony.

After the marriage, it becomes clear that Rohan's intentions were deceitful as he starts to mistreat Priya and forces her to work in his family's business without pay. A concerned neighbor, who learns about Priya's situation, informs a local NGO that works against child marriage. The NGO takes action by approaching the court, citing Section 12 of The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.

The court reviews the case and finds that Priya was indeed enticed out of the keeping of her lawful guardian and was induced to go through a form of marriage under deceitful means. As per the provisions of Section 12, the court declares the marriage between Priya and Rohan null and void, freeing Priya from the unlawful marriage and allowing legal action against Rohan for the violation of the Act.