416 Arrests During Third Phase Of Child Marriage Crackdown In Assam, Informs CM Sarma

In a crackdown that was launched on December 21, 416 people were arrested as Assam continues its fight against child marriages.

The police have registered 335 cases and the arrested will be produced in court.

Source : PTI

In a major crackdown on child marriages in Assam, 416 people were arrested in the third phase, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. This crackdown was launched on the night of December 21 and 22.

"Assam continues its fight against child marriage. In Phase 3 operations launched on the night of Dec 21-22, 416 arrests were made and 335 cases registered. The arrested individuals will be produced in court today. We will continue to take bold steps to end this social evil'', the chief minister posted on X.

#Assam continues its fight against child marriage.

In Phase 3 operations launched on the night of Dec 21-22, 416 arrests were made and 335 cases registered.
The arrested individuals will be produced in court today.

We will continue to take bold steps to end this social evil!…

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 22, 2024

According to PTI, police have registered 335 cases and the arrested will be produced in court on Sunday.

The state government launched a drive against child marriage in two phases in February and October 2023, as per the report. During the first phase, in February 2023, 3,483 people were arrested and 4,515 cases were registered. In the second phase, in October 2023, 915 people were arrested and 710 cases were registered

A National Family Health Survey (NFHS), conducted in the country between 2019 and 2021, suggested that 31 per cent of the marriages in Assam are underage unions. The survey said that in the years 2019-21, 11.7 per cent of the girls between the age group of 15-19 years were already mothers or pregnant at the time of the survey, which is much higher than the national average of 6.8 per cent.

The people who have come under the police radar are the parents of the brides, the grooms, and both Hindu and Muslim priests, who conducted such weddings.

In October, the Supreme Court urged the Parliament to consider outlawing child betrothals, which may be used to evade penalty under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006. The apex court said that marriages fixed in the minority of a child have the effect of violating their right to free choice.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said child betrothal takes away from them their choice of partner and life paths before they mature and form the ability to assert their agency.