West Bengal CM Adhikari Announces Crackdown On Child Marriage, Action Under POCSO & 2006 Act Against Offenders

Kolkata: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced severe repercussions for individuals involved in child marriages in West Bengal on Monday. Speaking at a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna after a cabinet meeting, Adhikari criticized the previous Trinamool Congress government, stating that the state had emerged as a leader in child marriages and underage deliveries during their tenure.

He continued, "After our government took office in West Bengal, we have been working in every sector. The prior administration failed to submit data to the Central Government, leaving us unaware of the issues we needed to address."

The Chief Minister ordered extensive house-to-house drives to locate underage marriages and pregnancies across the state. "Irrespective of religion, the state government will employ the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and the POCSO Act against those marrying minors and those conducting such unions," Adhikari declared. He revealed that between January 1 and June 30, about 60,000 institutional deliveries involved underage girls.

"Murshidabad recorded the highest number of such births, with 12,847 cases, followed by South 24 Parganas with 4,178," he stated.

Adhikari declared that the husbands of underage girls would receive showcause notices requesting proof of their wife's age. All government benefits would be revoked for those involved in child marriages. "The police will arrest these individuals immediately, and legal proceedings will commence," he added.