Assam: 15 fake ‘Kazis’ arrested for conducting child marriages

Assam police have arrested 15 "fake Kazis" from Hailakandi district for allegedly conducting child marriages by preparing fake documents.

Guwahati: Continuing its efforts to eradicate Child marriages in Assam, police has arrested 15 “fake Kazis” from Hailakandi district for allegedly conducting child marriages by preparing fake documents, a senior official said on Thursday.

According to the police, an operation was launched led by the Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime), following which 15 fake Kazis were arrested from various parts of the district on Wednesday.

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A senior police official said, six persons have been arrested under Lala police station, two each from Hailakandi, Ramnathpur, Algapur police station areas, and one each from Katlichera, Panchgram and Bilaipur police station areas.

Samir Baruah, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) of Hailakandi district, told ANI over the phone that police have seized several marriage registers from the accused.

“The arrested persons are fake Kazis, and they illegally conducted marriages, including minors. In one register, we found that one of the arrested persons had illegally conducted 150-200 marriages in the district. They also conducted child marriages. Our investigation is on,” Baruah said.

The arrested persons were identified as Azir Uddin Laskar, Mufti Abul Hussain, Asadullah Laskar, Kausar Ahmed, Abdul Jalil Laskar, Sorif Uddin Barbuya, Nurul Hoque Laskar, Abdus Asalam Mazumdar, Ubeidulla Choudhary, Abu Bakhar Barbhuiya, Aftab Uddin Laskar, Moin Uddin Chowdhury, Mujakir Hussain Mazumdar, Sahidul Haque, and Foiz Uddin Laskar.

The police official further said that a case has been registered and various documents have also been seized during the operation. Further legal action is on.

Earlier this month, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that a crackdown against child marriage will be launched every six months, adding that “big arrests” were likely at the next drive later this month.

The chief minister said he was hopeful that the scourge of child marriage would be rooted out of Assam by 2026.

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