Police in Assam have arrested 15 qazis, or Islamic judges, who have been accused of conducting child marriages, and seized 10 marriage certificates from the accused's possession.
An analysis of records of those arrested in the last crackdown showed that 62.24% of those arrested were Muslims, while the rest were Hindus and people from other communities.
Taking part in the budget session of the Assam legislative assembly, he also said such crack down would take place every six month, and that the state government is aiming to eradicate child marriage by 2026.
Efforts to address child marriages in the state through legal means and force are doing more harm than good. The focus needs to shift from retrospective punishment to empowering provisions.
The state government started its massive crackdown on child marriage from February 3. More than 3,000 people have been arrested so far, and are lodged in temporary jails.