Assam baby marriage crackdown: More than 1000 individuals arrested

The state-wide crackdown in opposition to baby marriage continues in full swing because the Assam police on Tuesday, third October, arrested greater than 800 accused individuals.

Giving particulars, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on X, “In a massive crackdown against child marriage, Assam Police has arrested over 800 accused persons in a special operation which began in the early hours of dawn. The number of arrests is likely to rise.”

In an enormous crackdown in opposition to baby marriage , Assam Police has arrested over 800 accused individuals in a particular operation which started within the early hours of daybreak.

The variety of arrests is prone to rise.

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 3, 2023

A couple of hours later, CM Sarma revealed the up to date numbers relating to the arrests and wrote on X, “The number now stands at 1,039.”

The quantity now stands at 1,039. https://t.co/RTAOh3slWj

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 3, 2023

The Additional Superintendent of Police of Morigaon District, Samiran Baishya, stated the operation in opposition to baby marriage began in Morigaon District final evening. Under the particular operation, police have arrested 34 individuals in Cachar district, 20 in Kamrup and elements of Barpeta district, and 34 in Morigaon district, as reported by ANI.

“So far, we have arrested 34 people during this operation and registered 26 cases. Our operation is still on. After launching the first leg of the operation against child marriage, people are now aware of it,” Samiran Baishya informed ANI.

It is price noting that the Assam authorities led by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has been actively working to eradicate baby marriages from the state. In February this yr, it was reported that the state police arrested over 3,000 individuals as part of its crackdown on baby marriages. As per ANI, within the preliminary section of this operation, Assam Police had already arrested roughly 5,000 people, together with 15 clerics suspected of involvement in baby marriages.

Reaffirming his authorities’s resolve to finish the menace of kid marriages, CM Sarma had earlier this yr stated that extreme measures on this regard have been taken and by the top of 2026, the federal government goals to eradicate baby marriages from the state. CM Sarma had knowledgeable that an operation might be launched in opposition to the menace of kid marriages within the state and arrest individuals each 2-3 months.

It is pertinent to recall that on January 23 of this yr, the cabinet handed laws to outlaw baby marriages within the state. The chief minister had introduced that his administration would launch a statewide drive in opposition to baby marriage underneath the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The state authorities additionally allotted a funds of Rs 200 crore to deal with the delicate difficulty and enabled the appointment of a particular lawyer for every case involving baby marriage to prosecute the criminals.

The Assam CM had earlier stated that over 1 lakh minor women have been married off lately and that a lot of them grew to become baby moms.

CM Sarma had introduced that the police would take motion in opposition to the households and clergymen or Qazis concerned in performing unlawful marriages within the state. In February this yr, round 60 Qazis have been arrested for his or her alleged involvement in conducting baby marriages. Moreover, in September this yr, the Assam police arrested 17 individuals who have been masquerading as qazis within the Hailakandi area.