CHENNAI: Like a scene out of a movie, a police team marched into an Aminjikarai home on Thursday, three days before a minor girl was to get married, and helped call it off. A few hours earlier, the 16-year-old had sent a text message to the police control room number saying she was to be married off to a relative at a Thiruverkadu temple on Sunday. She was later sent to a children's home in Shenoy Nagar.

After the parents of the girl, a school dropout and the eldest child, decided to get her married to a 28-year-old relative based on her grandmother's advice, the girl protested but in vain. She then decided to approach police. Her message to the control room number said: "I am a minor, my grandmother arranged my marriage, I don't like the marriage, no action in my family, I only want to stop the marriage."

Soon, a team headed by Aminjikarai inspector D Arokia Ravindran, special sub-inspector Gopal and sub-inspector Syed along with Childline coordinator A Silviya visited the girl's residence and got the family to cancel the marriage after an argument with the groom's father Dhanasekaran, a lorry driver.

"The family members heard our appeal and told us they were not aware of the legal issues binding child marriage. However, we made it clear that we would be forced to initiate legal action if they went ahead with the illegal marriage," inspector Ravindran said.

Finally, after the family members gave a written undertaking that the girl's marriage would be held only after she attained 18 years of age they were let off with a warning. The girl told police that the 'engagement' had already been completed last month.

Police said they found the girl wanted to continue her education with help from the social welfare department and decided to help her. "Since it was not safe for the girl to remain at home as her parents were initially reluctant to heed the advice of police, we have sent her to a home in Shenoy Nagar," said Childline coordinator Silviya.

The child was produced before the child welfare committee.

