JODHPUR, March 20 -- A Jodhpur family court annulled the child marriage of a 21-year-old woman, wed at age 12, ending a nine-year forced union. Judge Varun Talwar of Family Court No. 2 passed the order, granting relief to the woman with support from Saarthi Trust. The woman, hailing from a rural part of Jodhpur district, was married in 2016 amid social pressure. A few years later, her in-laws began pressuring her to undergo gauna (to live with her husband), which damaged her mental well-being. She then connected with Saarthi Trust and its managing trustee, Dr Kriti Bharti, and chose to seek legal recourse. With Dr Bharti's help, the woman filed an annulment petition in the family court about 18 months ago. During hearings, documents proving her age and the child marriage were submitted. The other side argued the marriage occurred when both parties were adults. After considering both arguments, the court declared the marriage null and void. In its order, the court observed that child marriage is a serious social evil that harms children's present and future, and urged strict measures to eradicate it. Dr Bharti said this was the 54th child marriage annulled with Saarthi Trust's support. She added that the organisation would now prioritise the woman's rehabilitation to help her rebuild her life....