Over 3,900 people held in child marriage cases in five years: Assam CM

Altogether 3,907 people have been arrested in Assam in cases relating to child marriage in the past five years, the state Assembly was informed on Monday.

Out of them, 3,319 are facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, while replying to a question by Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia.

The court has so far convicted 62 people in such cases, he added.

The state government had launched a drive against child marriage in February this year and it was kept on hold now.

Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that 316 corruption-related cases have been registered under Assam Police in the last five years.

 

Of these, 91 cases are with the CID, 198 with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing, and 27 with the Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell.

As many as 479 people have been arrested in connection with these cases.

The chief minister also said that 491 suspected land brokers have been arrested and cases against them are going on in courts.

Replying to a separate question by Congress member Abdur Rashid Mandal, Sarma said that during the tenure of his government, 390 people have been arrested for association or linkage with anti-national or extremist activities.

Sarma took oath as the chief minister in May 2021.

In cattle smuggling cases, 2,942 arrests have been made and 27,858 cattle heads seized since then.

Women trafficking-related cases have recorded 434 arrests, while 146 and 1,342 women and children have been rescued in the state during the period.

As many as 11,624 arrests have been made in drugs-related cases, leading to the recovery of contraband valued at more than Rs 2,817 crore, Sarma added.