Child marriage: Assam police arrest 1,800 in a day

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the crackdown will continue for three-four days. Pic/PTI

The Assam police have arrested over 1,800 people so far on Friday in a massive crackdown on child marriage, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The crackdown began early in the morning across the state and it will continue over the next three to four days, Sarma told reporters. He appealed to the people to extend support and cooperation to "rid the state of the evil practice".

The police had registered 4,004 cases of child marriage in less than a fortnight since the state cabinet decided on January 23 to take action, with the arrest of offenders and a simultaneous launch of an extensive awareness campaign.

Also Read: Men marrying girls aged below 14 years in Assam to be booked under POCSO Act: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Those having married girls below 14 years of age will be booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 will be registered against those who have married girls in the 14-18 years age group.

They will be arrested and the marriages will be declared illegal. If the boy is also below 14 years of age, he will be sent to a reform home as minors cannot be tried in the court. The priests, kazis and family members involved in the conduct of such marriages will also be booked, Sarma had said earlier.

Assam has a high rate of maternal and infant mortality, with child marriage being the primary cause as an average of 31 per cent of marriages registered in the state are in the prohibited age, according to reports of the National Family Health Survey.

4,004
No of child marriage cases registered

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