How can all the 149 girls, who reportedly ran away with the boys of their choice, are of the same age? How is it that all but one are of 19 years only?

This was the question posed by the hief judicial magistrate of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. A miffed judge took a serious note of the matter and asked the medical authorities of the local district government hospital to furnish a report as to how such a big number of girls are of identical age.Usually, when a girl elopes with a boy, the parents of the girl lodge a complaint claiming their girl to be a minor. However, in most cases, they fail to furnish documents of proof of age. Then as per procedure, the court sends the girl for medical examination to establish her age. The usual complaint from the girls parent is that the boy bribes the hospital officials and gets them to issue a certificate showing the girl as 19 years of age.

In Bareily, in as many as 149 cases registered over the last six months, all but one were shown as 19 years of age and one as 24 years old. With the magistrate taking a serious view, the officials have now began an inquiry.