Teen files paper to be man after wedding

AHMEDABAD: Praveen Dhaval, is a runaway groom who filed an affidavit to increase his age to marry the girl of his choice. His parents however, brandished his birth certificate at authorities to prove he is still a boy and not eligible for marriage.
A resident of Kubernagar, Praveen married 19-year-old Poonam from Kalol on September 2 at an Asarwa temple and got a marriage certificate from a charitable trust.This certificate does not carry any legal weight. He is just 18, and hence not eligible for marriage. To get past this hurdle, he tendered an affidavit before the trust affirming that he doesn’t having a voter’s card as identity proof to establish his age and stated on oath that his birth date was July 23, 1993.
On the other hand, Praveen’s parents – Purushottam and Asha Dhaval — are out to prove that their son is not eligible for marriage. In various applications to police authorities, they supplied a birth certificate issued by Vallabh Vidyanagar municipal borough, which reflects that Praveen was born on July 24, 1996.
“The couple plans to file a complaint under provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act with the social welfare department to annul Praveen’s marriage,” said their lawyer Jayendra Abhvekar.
The lawyer said Praveen had eloped with another girl from the neighbourhood. While the girl was adult, he was a minor. When they were nabbed from Ajmer, the cops booked him on charges of rape. “He was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board after we argued that it was Praveen who was lured by the girl. Because Praveen was a juvenile then,” the lawyer said. The rape case against him is pending.
The lawyer said Praveen’s parents often have occasion to file complaints about their son’s ascendance. This was on two counts – his elopement with girls and his trips for gambling. “He is a seasoned gambler and people hire him to play and he gets a commission. He was booked in gambling cases on various occasions and released on bail as a juvenile accused,” advocate Abhvekar said, adding that policemen do not take action to bring him home because he earns money for everybody.