Crackdown on Child Marriage in Assam Leads to 2,441 Arrests

Amid growing concern over child marriage in Assam, the state’s police force has launched a crackdown on the practice, leading to 2,441 arrests over a span of three days. The drive, which has been met with criticism from opposition leaders, is based on 4,074 FIRs filed across the state. The highest number of arrests were made in Biswanath district with 139, followed by 130 in Barpeta and 126 in Dhubri. The move has sparked protests in the Barak Valley, with some opposition leaders calling it a “publicity stunt”. The AIUDF has claimed that the crackdown was carried out “without framing the requisite rules”. Meanwhile, Assam Congress president Bhupen Bora called for a more humane approach to the issue, while AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the government’s focus on increasing literacy levels. The offenders will be arrested and the marriages declared illegal, with the cabinet recently deciding to book men who have married girls under 14 years of age under the POCSO Act.