Child Marriage Crackdown: 'Stop Himanta Sarma Govt's Abuse of Law', Cong Appeals HC

Guwahati, Feb 6 (PTI) Claiming that law was being "abused in Assam on the pretext of the crackdown on child marriage, the TMC on Monday sought the intervention of the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court.

State TMC president Ripun Bora, in a letter to the chief justice, urged him to restrain the state government from "such inhuman and unlawful activities".

The Assam Police, as part of the crackdown on child marriage, have arrested 2,441 accused since Friday, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserting that the drive will continue till 2026 Assembly polls.

"All of a sudden, Assam police across the state, at the instruction of Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, operated crackdown for the last 3 days against the so-called offenders under Protection of Child Marriage Act 2006 in a most whimsical manner (sic)," he wrote.

Bora claimed that several accused were arrested in a "retrospective manner, without any proper FIR and evidence".

The arrests have also led to situation of unrest in different places with people gheraoing police stations,thereby "disrupting normal public life", he pointed.

Many families with infants, children and pregnant women have been rendered helpless, following the arrest of the men in their households, which is in violation of human rights, the TMC state chief alleged in the letter.

He sought the chief justice's intervention for finding out why the police allegedly acted merely at the instruction of the CM, without observing the due process of law.

Bora urged the chief justice to protect the rights of the public and take action against those who are responsible for the "gross abuse of law".

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