The drive against child marriage has intensified in Assam, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals, including a Kazi (marriage registrar), for officiating a child marriage in the Karimganj district bordering Bangladesh.
According to police, an underage girl was married in the Patharkandi subdivision of the Karimganj district.
The marriage was solemnised with the consent of both the bride’s and groom’s families. Acting on a tip-off, the police raided the wedding venue and rescued the teenage girl.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Bilal Uddin, Zahraul Islam (the girl’s father), Shabbir Uddin (the Kazi), and several other family members.
A case has been registered against all eight persons under various sections of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) at the Patharkandi police station. All accused have been sent to judicial custody, the police said.
Since the BJP-led government came to power in Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Assam cabinet has repealed the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act, 1935.
Sarma has pledged to eradicate child marriage in Assam by 2026. A significant crackdown followed the repeal of the act, with over 3,500 arrests made in 2023 alone.