'Husbands to face POCSO charges if wife becomes mother before 18': What did West Bengal CM say on child marriage
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari announces POCSO prosecution and suo motu FIRs against husbands if wives become mothers before age 18.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a strict crackdown on child marriage and underage pregnancies, stating that husbands of girls who become mothers before reaching 18 years of age will face criminal prosecution under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Criticizing the previous Trinamool Congress administration for high rates of child marriage and teenage childbirths in the state, the Chief Minister confirmed that the state government will directly register suo motu cases against offenders to enforce strict legal action.
The previous Trinamool Congress government is responsible for this. So, henceforth, strong legal action will be taken under the POCSO Act against the husbands of girls who conceive before the age of 18. The government will file suo motu cases in such matters.
The culprit can be imprisoned for a maximum of 20 years. They will also be deprived of all government opportunities and social welfare allowances." He also said that the priests or Kazis performing rituals of marriage between underage brides and grooms will also not be spared. The administration will also take action against the guardians concerned. "From January 1, 2016, to June 30 this year, about 60,000 girls under the age of 18 became mothers. Murshidabad tops the list.
During that period, 12,847 girls from the district became mothers before attaining the age of 18. Next on the list is South 24 Parganas, where 4,178 girls under the age of 18 became mothers," the Chief Minister added. He informed that the State Health Department provided him with this information.
"The law under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 specifies the prevention of child marriages. The number of child marriages is so high that there are not even enough jails in the state to house all those who are guilty on this count. But still, we will not allow this to continue. We will make arrests. We have to stop all these social evils. We will launch a bigger campaign on this issue in the coming days," CM Adhikari said.
(With inputs from agencies)
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.