In a disturbing trend, families of underage girls in Krishnagiri district’s Kelamangalam block have allegedly altered birth dates on Aadhaar cards to conceal child marriages and evade legal action. The Tamil Nadu Health Department uncovered six such cases over the past six months, officials said.
The deception came to light through the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) system, which is used to track all pregnancies in the state. Discrepancies between the Aadhaar-linked PICME records and physical Aadhaar cards led to the discovery.
Officials said six pregnant minors from villages including Bettamugilalam, Koppakarai, and Jakkeri were identified through routine PICME monitoring. In each case, Aadhaar cards presented by the girls showed altered birth years to falsely indicate they were adults.
In one instance, a 14-year-old girl married to a 29-year-old man attempted to register her pregnancy at the Nagamangalam Primary Health Centre in late May. When her Aadhaar card showed she was 20, but the PICME data reflected her real age as 14, health officials flagged the case. Upon questioning, the couple admitted the birth date had been changed for Rs 200 at a local browsing centre in Denkanikottai. The case was subsequently reported to the All Women’s Police Station in Denkanikottai.
Sources allege that forged Aadhaar cards were created at local browsing centres and photo studios for as much as Rs 500. In some cases, health staff may have been complicit. Investigations point to at least two browsing centres and a photo studio in Rayakottai and Denkanikottai being involved in the forgery.
Kelamangalam Block Medical Officer Dr. C Rajesh Kumar said inspection teams would visit the implicated centres and studios. Village Health Nurses (VHNs) have been warned not to support such practices. One staff member in Bettamugilalam panchayat was reportedly dismissed for aiding in Aadhaar tampering.
Krishnagiri District Health Officer Dr. G. Ramesh Kumar confirmed the issue and said health department staff across the district would be sensitised to prevent further misuse.
From April 2024 to March 2025, 545 teenage pregnancies were reported in Krishnagiri district, with the highest numbers in Shoolagiri (81), Krishnagiri rural (72), and Kelamangalam (66), he said.
District Collector C. Dinesh acknowledged receiving details of at least one case and stated that a team would be formed to investigate and take appropriate action against those involved.
