Over 500 Arrested As Assam Steps Up Action Against Child Marriage

Assam's latest drive against child marriage has surpassed last year's numbers, with authorities registering 476 cases and arresting 557 people so far as part of the ongoing crackdown. The figures represent a significant increase over the state's 2024 operation.Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared the latest figures, which show 113 more cases and 125 more arrests compared with the 2024 drive, when 363 cases were registered and 432 people were arrested.Visual representation of child marriage culprits acting innocent and then getting caught by @assampolice. Watch till the end! 😱 So far 537 arrests had been made and 460 cases registered. We will NOT stop until child marriage is eradicated from Assam. https://t.co/TaA0Osf047— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 28, 2026The state intensified its campaign against child marriage in 2023, launching a large-scale crackdown that saw police register cases and make arrests across Assam. Government figures released earlier had cited more than 12,000 cases and over 11,000 arrests as part of the wider drive.Speaking to the media, Sarma said the annual crackdown was continuing this year as part of the government's efforts to eliminate child marriage from the state."The crackdown on child marriage is carried out every year, and this year too, we have continued the drive. More than 500 people have been arrested so far, and some more arrests are still pending. Our efforts will continue until child marriage is completely eradicated from Assam," he said.बाल विवाह के खिलाफ हमारा Action पूरी दृढ़ता से जारी रहेगा। हमारी बेटियों के सपनों को अब कोई बेड़ियों में नहीं जकड़ सकेगा। https://t.co/eUU0og1mvO— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 28, 2026The government has also pointed to a decline in child marriage in areas covered by its assessments. According to one assessment, cases fell by 81 per cent across 1,132 villages in 20 districts between 2021-22 and 2023-24.Sarma said the police drive would continue, reiterating the government's stated goal of completely eradicating child marriage from Assam.