Crackdown on child marriages, 139 people arrested in Assam's Biswanath

Biswanath (Assam) [India], February 4 (ANI): Assam police have arrested 139 people in Biswanath district as part of its state-wide crackdown on child marriages after CM Himanta Biswa Sarma directed to end the 'menace'.
"We have arrested 139 people so far and registered 97 cases related to child marriage at various police stations. Of the 139 people, 23 have been arrested under Sootea police station, 24 under Biswanath Chariali Sadar police station, 20 under Jinjia police station, 30 under Behali police station, 9 under Helem and 33 under Gohpur police station," Biswanath SP Navin Singh said.
"Strict action against them will be followed as per law," he said.
Similarly in Karimganj district, police have so far arrested 79 people in 92 cases related to child marriage registered at different police stations.
"These people were involved in child marriage, and booked under provisions of Child Marriage Act," Karimganj SP Padmanabh Baruah said.
According to the Assam police data, 139 people have been arrested in Biswanath, 126 in Dhubri, 120 in Baksa, 114 in Barpeta, 97 in Nagaon, 96 in Hojai, 94 in Kokrajhar, 87 in Bongaigaon, 79 in Karimganj, 76 in Hailakandi, 72 in Cachar, 72 in Goalpara district in cases related to child marriage.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Assam Director-General of Police (DGP) GP Singh said that in the last two days, police arrested 2,044 people across the state, as part of the crackdown on child marriage, and 4074 cases have been registered so far.
He said that among the arrested individuals 52 are priests and Qazis involved in child marriages.
"Maximum arrests have been made in Dhubri, Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Vishwanath districts," added DGP Singh.
He further said that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had directed the police to initiate a probe as he had received inputs that child marriage was rampant in the state.
"About two months ago, CM Sarma told police that he had got inputs that child marriage was rampant in the various parts of the state and directed us to carry out a probe. On CM's directive, all the SPs were told to get in touch with respective village defence parties, Gaon Buras, chiefs of various communities and prominent people of local communities and learned that there are instances of child marriage in various parts of the state," DGP added. (ANI)