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In the second phase of a state-wide crackdown against child marriage, the Assam police on Tuesday arrested more than 800 accused persons.
Giving details, 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." The Additional Superintendent of Police of Morigaon District, Samiran Baishya, said that the operation against child marriage started in Morigaon District last night. Under the special operation, police have arrested 34 people in Cachar district, 20 in Kamrup and parts of Barpeta district, and 34 in Morigaon district. "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 said. On September 19, Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Dr Numal Momin, reaffirmed the government's unwavering commitment to addressing the problem of child marriages. He emphasized that the government would spare no effort to eradicate this harmful practice. Dr Momin stressed the health-related complications that often arise when underage girls become pregnant due to early marriages. To safeguard the well-being of young girls, he asserted that the government was determined to stop child marriages "at any cost." In the initial phase of this operation, Assam Police had already arrested approximately 5,000 individuals, including 15 clerics suspected of involvement in child marriages. Deputy Speaker Momin praised CM Sarma's resolute stance and announced that similar crackdowns against child marriages would be conducted every six months. He expressed optimism that child marriages would be eliminated in Assam by 2026. Regarding the minimum age for marriage, Dr Momin proposed that it should be raised to 21 for girls. He also expressed concerns about the role of certain clerics, stating that they often view the issue purely from a religious perspective, while fake clerics are allegedly involved in facilitating such marriages. (ANI)
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