In Brief
- State authorities apprehended 524 individuals across multiple districts during coordinated operations.
- Assam Police formally filed 441 fresh cases involving alleged perpetrators, parents, and facilitators.
- Heavy enforcement drives took place in districts including Dhubri, Sribhumi, and Goalpara.
- Chief Minister Sarma asserted that enforcement actions will continue relentlessly until child marriage is fully eradicated.
Assam Escalates Multi-District Enforcement Drive
The Assam Government launched a renewed, large-scale crackdown on child marriage across the state, resulting in 524 arrests and 441 registered cases. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted that this phase builds upon the structured campaign initiated in February 2023, which targeted offenders under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Police operations focused heavily on high-incidence regions. In Dhubri district alone, authorities detained dozens of individuals across nine police stations, targeting not only the grooms but also parents and religious officiants involved in facilitating minor marriages. Similarly, police in Sribhumi registered 28 cases and arrested over 30 suspects in connection with the drive.
Policy Objectives and Political Backing
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasized the state's long-term commitment to ending the practice.
"Over 500 people have been arrested. There are a few more people left to arrest. And as long as child marriage isn't completely wiped out in Assam, our efforts will continue with full determination."
— Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam
The opposition leadership in the state assembly also acknowledged the enforcement steps. State agencies plan to pair these enforcement drives with grassroots awareness campaigns to ensure young girls remain enrolled in school and shielded from premature marriages.
