Crackdown against child marriages in Assam;2,278 arrested in 3 days
In Laitumkhrah assault case Meghalaya police arrested five people
GUWAHATI: The Assam Police continued its crackdown on child marriage in the state for the third consecutive day, with the number of arrests reaching 2,278 on Sunday.
A police statement said the arrests were made on the basis of 4,074 FIRs across the state.
At least 139 people have been arrested in Biswanath, followed by 130 in Barpeta and 126 in Dhubri, the statement said.
Other districts with more than 100 arrests are Baksa (123) and Bongaigaon and Hojai (117 each).
Dhubri registered the highest number of FIRs against child marriage at 374, followed by Hojai with 255 and Morigaon with 224.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that the campaign against child marriage will continue till the next assembly elections in 2026.
He had said that the parents involved in early marriages are currently being sent away by giving a notice.
The Chief Minister further said that men who marry girls below the age of 14 will face non-bailable charges, while those who marry girls between the ages of 14 and 16 should be charged under bailable provisions. will
The state cabinet recently approved a proposal to punish men who marry girls below the age of 14 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
The cabinet decided to register cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 against those who marry girls between the ages of 14 and 18.
Offenders will be arrested and marriages will be declared illegal.
If the groom is below 14 years of age, he will be sent to a correctional home.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) reports, Assam has a high maternal and child mortality rate, which is mainly due to child marriage.
The NFHS noted that an average of 31 percent of the marriages registered in the state are in the prohibited age group.
