Crackdown against child marriages continues in Assam; over 2,000 held

Continuing the crackdown on child marriages, Assam Police have arrested a total of 2,258 people so far, an official said on Saturday.

Rajib Saikia, PRO of Assam Police, has said that the highest numbers of arrests were reported from Biswanath district where 139 people were held and 97 cases were registered against child marriage.

Barpeta district has the second highest number of arrests, which stands at 128 against the total number of 81 cases lodged.

The Muslim-dominated district of Dhubri logs the third-highest arrests. Already 127 people have been arrested by the police. Here, 374 complaints of child marriages have been registered.

Meanwhile, many women in different parts of the state have expressed displeasure over the arrest of their husbands. They have been protesting outside the police stations against the crackdown. Some of them even asked "who will feed the family if their spouses are jailed".

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday, however, made it clear that the police operation against child marriage will continue in the state.

"People should not try to draw sympathy on this issue. This is extremely necessary to save the future generation," he said.

--IANS

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