“494 persons convicted for child marriage, POCSO since 2017 in Assam,”: CM Sarma

The Assam government announced on Monday that 494 people have been convicted in the state for child marriage and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) cases since 2017.

According to the state government, a total of 6,174 people have been released on bail. In response to a question from Congress MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the Home Department, stated in the Assembly that from 2017 to February of this year, a total of 4,049 people were arrested under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and 8908 people were arrested under the POCSO Act, 2012.

“Out of the total number of persons thus arrested, a total of 8,773 numbers of persons are charge-sheeted, a total of 494 persons are convicted and a total of 6,174 persons are released on bail,” the Assam Chief Minister said in the written reply to the query.

According to section 2 (a) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the age limit below which boys and girls are considered minors is below 21 years for boys and below 18 years for girls.

“As per the information available with the police department, a total of 134 numbers of boys below the permissible age got married in Assam till date and a total of 2,975 numbers of girls below the permissible age got married in the state till date,” he said.

According to the state government, 50 people were arrested in the state in 2017 under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, of 2006, 106 in 2018, 156 in 2019, 216 in 2020, 166 in 2021, 257 in 2022, and 3,098 in first two months of this year.

In 2017, 932 people were arrested in the state under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012 (POCSO), while 1393 were arrested in 2018, 1428 in 2019, 1471 in 2020, 1500 in 2021, 1537 in 2022, and 647 in the first two months of 2023.

In response to a separate question from MLA Akhil Gogoi, the Assam Chief Minister stated that 4111 incidents of child marriage occurred in the state between April 2021 and February 2023.

“A total of 4,670 cases have been registered in different police stations in the state and 3483 persons have been arrested, of which 1,182 persons are in jail and 2,253 persons have got bail, notices issued to 48 others,” the Assam Chief Minister said.