(1) In addition to the duties mentioned in sub-section (3) of section 16 of the Act, the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer shall discharge the following functions and duties, namely:–
(a) To prohibit child marriages, the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer shall,—
(i) create awareness of compulsory registration of marriages;
(ii) collect and scrutinize data regularly for girl drop outs from schools;
(iii) create awareness of the adverse effects of child marriages and for sensitizing the community on the issue of child marriages and to prevent solemnization of child marriages, the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer may, with the help of persons working in the field of protection of women and children or professionals including councellors, lawyers, health care providers, psychiatrists,–
(a) use print, broadcast and all other forms of media;
(b) organize lectures of experts in law, social work, psychology, medicine, psychiatry, health care providers and other experts;
(c) organize awareness drives and campaigns;
(d) organize visits to educational institutions.
(iv) inform the District Magistrate or the District Child Protection Unit established under the Juvenile Justice Act to plan preventive strategies on special occasions like Holi, Akshaya Tritaya, when mass marriages are likely to happen;
(v) inform the police and file First Information Report to stop the offences in relation to child marriages;
(vi) inform the Child Welfare Committee to take appropriate preventive measures to stop the child marriage;
(vii) keep updated list of various stakeholders, like Non-Government Organisations working on issues of women and children, counsellors, health care providers, lawyers, legal services authorities, etc.;
14 महाराष्टट्र शासन राजपत्र असाधारण भाग चार-अ, ऑक््टटोबर २१, २०२२/आश््वविन २९, शके १९४४
(viii) inform child, parents, guardians involved in child marriage about various schemes of the Government and suggest them to apply for obtaining benefit under the applicable Schemes;
(ix) keep vigilance in the area under his jurisdiction for eliminating the possibility of solemnization of child marriage;
(x) collect information regarding mass child marriages within his jurisdiction;
(x) encourage Gram Sabha to pass a resolution against solemnization of child marriages in their village.
(b) When the child marriage is being solemnized, the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer shall,—
(i) if he receives reliable information that a child marriage is likely to be solemnized, he in such an emergency situation shall seek immediate help of the Police or the Child Welfare Committee or District Child Protection Unit and visit the place of incident and record the Child Marriage Incidence Report in Form I and submit it to the Judicial Magistrate First Class or Metropolitan Magistrate without any delay for seeking appropriate orders under the Act;
(ii) in emergency, the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer in presence of two reliable witnesses or respectable members or members of Child Line or members of non-Government Organisation from the community may visit the place where child marriage is likely to be solemnized for taking immediate action to stop the solemnization of child marriage;
(iii) take steps for age verification of the child;
(iv) file an application before the Judicial Magistrate or a Metropolitan Magistrate for injunction order or ex-parte interim injunction order under section 13 of the Act against any person including a member of an organization or an association of persons prohibiting such marriage;
(v) to assist the aggrieved person in filing an application in the Court of a Judicial Magistrate or a Metropolitan Magistrate, as the case may be, regarding the offences committed under the Act;
(vi) immediately inform Child Welfare Committee and take all necessary steps as directed by Child Welfare Committee to place such child, if need be, in a State funded residential school, shelter home, or any other safe place where the child being in need of care and protection is placed as per the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.
(c) After the child marriage is solemnized, the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer shall,—
(i) collect all evidences like age proof, marriage invitation, marriage photo, etc.;
(ii) file a complaint with the Police or a Judicial Magistrate or a Metropolitan Magistrate, as the case may be in respect of offences committed under the Act;
(iii) take assistance of the Child Welfare Committee to rescue the child if need be and give the required care and protection as directed by the Child Welfare Committee;
(iv) assist the child, parents, guardians in accessing services like counselling, healthcare, shelter home, legal aid, etc.;
(v) assist the aggrieved person in filing an application in the Court of a Judicial Magistrate or a Metropolitan Magistrate, as the case may be, regarding the offences committed under the Act;
(vi) assist in filing petition for annulling a child marriage by a decree of nullity; and in case the petitioner is minor at the time of filing a petition, then file a petition alongwith his or her guardian or next friend as per the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 3;
(vii) inform the police authorities including the special police officers appointed under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (104 of 1956), if he comes to know of the solemnization of any child marriage wherein the child being minor, is,— महाराष्टट्र शासन राजपत्र असाधारण भाग चार-अ, ऑक््टटोबर २१, २०२२/आश््वविन २९, शके १९४४ 15
(a) taken or enticed out of the keeping of the lawful guardian; or
(b) compelled by force; or
(c) induced by any deceitful means to go from any place; or
(d) sold for the purpose of marriage and made to go through a form of marriage; or
(e) married and after which is sold or trafficked or used for immoral purposes.