Indian Police Arrest 1,800 Men in Crackdown on Underage Marriage
Voice of America
03 Feb 2023, 16:36 GMT+10
GUWAHATI, INDIA - Police in Assam have arrested more than 1,800 men for marrying or arranging marriages to underage girls, launching what the eastern Indian state's chief minister said on Friday was the start of a sustained crackdown on the practice.
Police began the arrests Thursday night, and more were likely, including of people helping to register such marriages in temples and mosques, Himanta Biswa Sarma told Reuters.
'Child marriage is the primary reason behind child pregnancy, which in turn is responsible for high maternal and infant mortality rates,' he said.
Marriage under 18 is illegal in India, but the law is openly flouted.
The United Nations estimates that the country is home to the largest number of child brides in the world at around 223 million. Nearly 1.5 million underage girls get married there every year, U.N. children's agency UNICEF said in a 2020 report.
'From Muslims to Hindus, Christians, tribal people to those belonging to the tea garden communities [tribal tea garden workers], there are men from all faiths and communities who got arrested for this heinous social crime,' Sarma said.
The Assam government has registered cases related to child marriage against 4,004 people, he added.
Share
Tweet
Share
Flip
Email
Subscribe and Follow
Get a daily dose of The US News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
News RELEASES
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to The US News.
More InformationWK Kellogg sold to Ferrero as food giants chase shelf power
BATTLE CREEK, Michigan: In a major consolidation of iconic food brands, WK Kellogg has agreed to be acquired by the owner of Ferrero...
Filmmaker joins biotech effort to bring back extinct giant bird
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...
India seeks WTO nod for retaliatory tariffs on US
NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...
AI boom propels Nvidia to historic market cap milestone
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Nvidia, the Silicon Valley chipmaker at the heart of the artificial intelligence boom, this week briefly...
AI saves $500 million for Microsoft as layoffs reshape strategy
REDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
FTC’s rule to ease subscription cancellations struck down by court
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
WK Kellogg sold to Ferrero as food giants chase shelf power
BATTLE CREEK, Michigan: In a major consolidation of iconic food brands, WK Kellogg has agreed to be acquired by the owner of Ferrero...
Filmmaker joins biotech effort to bring back extinct giant bird
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...
India seeks WTO nod for retaliatory tariffs on US
NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...
AI boom propels Nvidia to historic market cap milestone
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Nvidia, the Silicon Valley chipmaker at the heart of the artificial intelligence boom, this week briefly...
AI saves $500 million for Microsoft as layoffs reshape strategy
REDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
FTC’s rule to ease subscription cancellations struck down by court
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
