Jagatsinghpur, May 11: A fresh case of child marriage has sparked concern over child safety and protection mechanisms in Jagatsinghpur district. A 14-year-old minor girl, who is reportedly pregnant, was admitted to the Jagatsinghpur District Headquarters Hospital on Monday after experiencing labour pain. Police have begun a preliminary investigation into the incident.

According to sources, the girl belongs to Keonjhar district but was residing in the Raghunathpur police station area, where she was allegedly married to a minor boy from Jagatsinghpur town. Records indicate the boy was born in December 2008, while the girl’s Aadhaar card shows her date of birth as January 2012, confirming both are underage.

The incident has raised serious questions over how the marriage was conducted without the knowledge of the administration. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has been informed, and legal action may follow.

Despite several government initiatives such as awareness drives, Child Helpline-1098, Women Helpline-181, Operation Smile, and the formation of child protection committees at block and panchayat levels, incidents of child marriage and minor pregnancies continue to surface in the district, exposing major loopholes in the system.