Assam authorities arrest over 560 people in child marriage crackdown

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reported that police arrested 564 people and registered 481 cases during a recent crackdown on child marriages in Assam, India.

The state government says these actions are part of a broader campaign to eliminate the practice. Sarma stated that previous efforts have led to over 11,000 arrests and 12,000 registered cases. He claimed that child marriages dropped by 81% across 20 districts in the state.

The government plans to make the state completely free of child marriages by 2026. Some residents have protested the crackdown, claiming that the arrested men are the primary earners for their families. The Gauhati High Court previously noted in 2023 that police actions were causing significant disruption in the state. During that period, the court granted anticipatory bail in four cases, suggesting that some charges under a specific sexual offences act might not be justified.