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From the Government Gazette 12 Oct. 1929.
The following Act of the Indian Legislature received the assent of the Governor. General on the 1st October, 1929, and is hereby promulgated for general information :Act No. XIX of 1929.
An Act to restrain the solemnsation of child marriages..
WHEREAS it is expedient to restrain the solemnisation. of child marriages; It is hereby enacted as follows:--
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
(1) This Act may be called the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1928. (2) It extends to the whole of British India, including British Baluchistan and the Sonthal Parganas.
(3) It shall come into force on the 1st day of April,, 1930.
2. Definitions.
In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,(a) "child" means a person who, if a male, is under eighteen years of age, and if a female, is under fourteen years of
age;
(b) "child marriage" means a marriage to which either of the contracting parties is a child;
(e) "contracting party" to a marriage means either of the parties whosemarriage is thereby solemnised, and
(d) "minor" means a person of either sex who is under eighteen years. of age.
3. Punishment for male adult below twenty-one years of age marrying a child.
Whoever, being a male above eighteen years of age and below twentyone, contracts a child marriage shall be punishable with fine which may extend to. one thousand rupees.
4. Punishment for male adult above twenty-one years of age marrying a child.
Whoever, being a male above twenty-one years of age, contracts a child marriage shall be punishable with simple imprisonment which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. 5. Punishment for solemnising a child marriage.
Whoever performs, conducts or directs any child marriage shall be punishable with simple imprisonment which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both, unless he proves that he had reason to believe that the marriage was not a child marriage. 6. Punishment for parent or guardian concerned in a child marriage. (1) Where a minor contracts a child marriage, any person having charge of the minor, whether a parent or guardian or in any other capacity,
