Assam Police arrests 5348 people in drive against child marriage

Guwahati (Assam) [India], Dcember 23 (ANI): Continuing their drive against child marriage and other social evils, the Assam Police arrested 5348 persons across the state in last two years and registered 5842 cases.
According to the data shared by Assam police, the first drive was launched against child marriage in February 2023 and the second drive was conducted in October 2023.
Assam police arrested 431 persons in the third phase drive on the night of December 21-22 across the state and registered 345 cases.
In the first phase drive, police arrested 3425 persons and registered 4387 cases, in the second phase, police arrested 913 persons and registered 682 cases.
M. P. Gupta, ADGP (CID) said that, as per the direction of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, fulfilling his vision, Assam Police has been continuously fighting against the evil of child marriage.
Gupta said that the main goal was to eradicate the social evil of child marriage by 2025.
"The goal is to eradicate the social evil of child marriage by the end of 2025. In this regard 2 numbers of special drives have been conducted earlier in the month of February, 2023 and again in the month of October, 2023. In the first drive against child marriage all over Assam 4,387 cases were registered and 3,425 persons were arrested and in the 2nd drive conducted in the month of October 2023, 682 cases were registered and 913 persons were arrested. In continuity to curb the social evil of child marriage and as per the direction the Chief Minister of Assam, Assam Police launched the 3rd special drive on 21st December, 2024 throughout the state," the ADGP said while speaking to ANI.
Further, he added that in the current drive a total of 345 cases had been registered in which most of the accused were husbands, family members and Kazis who performed the marriage rituals.
"In the current drive 345 cases were registered and 431 persons were arrested. The arrest include the accused husbands, family members, and the Kazis who performed the marriage rituals. In the first 2 drives 5,181 cases were charge sheeted and it accounts to 95.2% of the cases registered. As a result of these special drives against child marriage. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) has come down drastically in the state of Assam," M. P. Gupta said.
According to the data of Assam police, in the third phase drive, police arrested 68 persons in Dhubri district, 52 persons in Barpeta district, 42 in South Salmara Mankachar district, 22 each in Kamrup and Karimganj district, 21 each in Darrang and Hailakandi district. (ANI)