Continuing the "crackdown" on child marriage, Assam police arrested 70 more persons in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of arrests to 2,510 since February 3.
Assam police on Tuesday said the drive for the arrest of the remaining accused will continue. Police registered a total of 4,036 cases since February 2 after the state government issued an order for a state-wide crackdown against child marriage.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that the drive would continue despite protests by young women for the release of their husbands. Sarma said the drive was launched for public health and welfare as teenage pregnancy in the state was alarmingly high at 16.8 per cent. Many women had even clashed with police while trying to prevent the arrest of their husbands.
Sarma earlier said child marriage in Assam was more than 31 per cent and was responsible for the high rates of Infant Mortality and Maternal Mortality.
Most of the arrests have been made in Dhubri, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Nagaon, Hojai and Hailakandi districts, where Muslim populations are high. The problem, however, is also serious among those living in tea gardens and among the tribals.
The state Cabinet on January 23 decided to launch the crackdown.
Published 07 February 2023, 16:06 IST