Police arrest 3 for child marriage in Assam’s Nagaon

Nagaon (Assam) [India], January 30 (ANI): Three persons, including the groom, were arrested by Police for allegedly conducting child marriage in Assam’s Nagaon district.

The incident took place in the Rupahihat area of the central Assam district. According to police, on January 28, they got information that a girl child was being married off at Dakhin Khatowal village. A raid was conducted by Inspector Sanjit Kumar Ray, the Officer-in-Charge of Rupahihat police station and his team. The house of Abdul Kalam where child marriage was being conducted was raided and the accused persons were arrested.

“Accordingly Obaidul Islam and two accused persons, who had accompanied him namely Gulzar Hussain, a resident of village Dokhin Khatowal and Rufol Amin, a resident of Maaripar village under Juria police station, have been apprehended. The victim has been rescued,” said an official of Rupahihat police station.

A case has been registered at Rupahihat police station under section 9, 10 and 11 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 and Section 12 of POCSO Act, 2012.
All of the accused persons have been sent to judicial custody.
Recently, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state government will be launching a massive crack down across the state to stop cases of child marriage.

“We will launch a massive crackdown against child marriage in the state. Those marrying girls below the age of 14 years, will be booked under the POCSO Act,” the CM had said while addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting last week.

POCSO Act of 2012 defines a child as an individual under the age of 18 and it criminalises sex between an under-age child and an adult.
Cases will be registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, if the bride is between 14 to 18 years old, the chief minister said.