Child marriages are common in India, but what about a child divorce?
A startling instance of child marriage and divorce has come to light in a West Bengal village, where a girl was married off in infancy.
Child bride Khadeja Biwi was wedded to Munirul Mir when she was 39 days old and he 12 years. At 20, Munirul wants to divorce and marry a "woman of my age".
The parents of both parties have agreed, and preparations are on for Mir's second marriage.
Local dailies quoted an excited Khadeja as saying she was looking forward to the new marriage "as I can have lots of fun".
Mir and Khadeja are cousins living in Mirzapur village of Murshidabad district.
"I wedded my 39-day-old daughter to my elder brother's son after he died so that our family ties would be strengthened," said Khadeja's father Israphil Mir.
The marriage was "solicited" in the presence of village and community leaders. Things were fine until now.
"But now my son-in-law wants to marry a woman of his age. If he is adamant about it, we can't help it," said Israphil, adding that he was annulling Khadeja's marriage. "My daughter is still a child and I don't want anything to taint her."
Munirul's mother Sheharbanu Bewa is now looking for a bride. She said she wanted to hold the marriages of her daughter Phulbanu and son together to save costs.
"Phulbanu's marriage has been fixed. Now I have to look for a girl for Munirul."
Sheharbanu said her son had been scolding her for marrying him to young Khadeja. "Khadeja's father can marry her off later when she grows up."
The news of the child marriage and divorce has reached the police. Both parents said they did not know they were doing anything wrong.
"We are ready to undo the marriage
and marry off Khadeja when she grows up," Israphil pleaded when it was
pointed out that child marriages were illegal.