GUWAHATI | Assam’s ongoing crackdown on child marriage has resulted in 565 arrests and the registration of 481 cases across the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday, asserting that the campaign would continue until the practice was eradicated.

Sharing the latest figures on social media, Sarma said the government would maintain its drive against child marriage. “As of now, 565 arrested and 481 cases registered. The crackdown continues until child marriage is eradicated from Assam,” he said.

Dhubri topped the district tally with 63 arrests across nine police station jurisdictions, while Nagaon recorded 43 arrests and 36 cases, a senior police source told The Assam Tribune. Of those arrested in Nagaon, 22 are husbands accused of marrying minor girls, while the remaining 21 are alleged facilitators, including family members who helped arrange the marriages.

Dhing Police Station recorded the highest number of arrests in Nagaon district, with eight people taken into custody-four husbands and four alleged facilitators. Nagaon Police Station followed with seven arrests, comprising six husbands and one alleged facilitator.

Police sources said most cases had been registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The victims have been counselled, and medical examinations are being conducted in accordance with established procedures. Further arrests are likely as investigations continue.

The government’s campaign has also received support from Wazed Ali Choudhary, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly. On Wednesday, he backed the arrest of people involved in child marriages, describing the government’s action as appropriate.

“If someone has engaged in child marriage, then arresting them is the right course of action. Through our NGOs, we are making significant efforts within our society to prevent child marriage. The steps taken by the government are correct,” he said.

The intensified enforcement drive comes amid reports of a decline in child marriage in Assam. A report titled Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India, released by Just Rights for Children last year, reported an 84% decline in child marriages among girls and a 91% decline among boys in the state over three years.

At the national level, the report found declines of 69% among girls and 72% among boys. In a separate initiative, coordinated efforts by the Kamrup district administration, law enforcement agencies and civil society organisations prevented 350 child marriages and rescued 10 children from trafficking during 2025.