The husband of an 18-year-old girl who died while giving birth to a child was arrested along with his father and other family members in Assam’s Bongaigaon district under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, police said on Thursday.
The girl died in a government hospital on February 5. The father-son duo has been identified as Sahinur Ali (23) and Aynal Haque (48).
Superintendent of police (SP) of Bongaigaon district, Swapnaneel Deka said the girl had got married when she was a minor.
“We have arrested her husband and other family members because she was married off before she became an adult. We have registered a case against them under the Child Marriage Act,” Deka told HT on Thursday.
Deka said that he has appealed to the deputy commissioner to conduct a magistrate enquiry to find the actual reason for the girl’s death.
A member of the girl’s family, who did not wish to be named, said her husband was afraid of taking her to a government hospital because of the ongoing crackdown on child marriage by the Assam police.
“They (the husband’s family) forced her to deliver the baby at home and refused to take her to a hospital. Her health condition worsened and they took her to a local health centre. The doctors referred her to a government hospital in Bongaigaon,” the family member said.
Joint director of Health, Bongaigaon, Dr Paresh Rai said the girl died due to post-partum hemorrhage as per the initial report. However, they are investigating it further.
“Doctors said that she was brought to the hospital in a critical condition and there were complications in the pregnancy as well. The family members attempted home delivery, which made it more complex,” he said.
The joint director said the newborn child has survived and they are providing medical care to the baby.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that in the last six days, 2,666 persons have been arrested in the state in connection to child marriages.
“Our crackdown against child marriage continues with 2,666 arrests made so far. The drive against this social evil will continue. We seek the support of the people of Assam in our fight against this social crime,” he said on Twitter.
Sarma recently revealed that, 4,074 cases have been registered and around 8,000 people have been named as accused in connection with child marriages. However, considering the age and health condition, they are leaving 4,000 with warning and rest of the accused will be arrested, he added.
