CM Sarma says over 800 held in crackdown against child marriage

Guwahati: More than 800 people were arrested in the second phase of the crackdown on child marriage in Assam. Thousands of people were arrested in the first phase of the crackdown.
More than 800 people were arrested on Tuesday in the second phase of a statewide crackdown on child marriage in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
During the first round of the campaign earlier this year, thousands were held across the state.
“In a massive crackdown on child marriage, the Assam Police have arrested more than 800 accused in a special operation, which began early in the morning,” Sarma said on X.
He said that the number of arrests in cases related to social scourge is likely to increase as the operation is still going on.
On September 11, Sarma had told the Assam Assembly that a total of 3,907 people had been arrested in child marriage cases in the last five years, of which 3,319 were under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012 (POCSO). He faces charges under .