Morigaon (Assam) [India], March 7 (HBTV): In a major legal development against child marriage in Assam, a district court in Morigaon has delivered a historic verdict by sentencing a man to life imprisonment while another has received a 20-year jail term in a child marriage case. 

Samiran Baishya, additional superintendent of Police of Morigaon district said that on March 6, one Amir Ali had been convicted with rigorous Imprisonment for life. The other person, a Ferdus Alom has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by the Additional Sessions Judge and Special Judge for POCSO of Morigaon. 

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012 was enacted to provide a legal framework for the protection of children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography, while safeguarding the interest of the child at every stage of the judicial process.

"It is to be mentioned here that while monitoring the process of trial it has came to light that one person, Merajul Islam, had threatened the victim and other witnesses to depose evidence in favor of the accused and also offered gratification,’ Baishya said.                                 

‘Accordingly he was arrested from the court premises and forwarded to judicial custody,’ Baishya said. 

Earlier, the Assam government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had launched a massive crackdown against child marriage with police arresting more than 4000 people across the state. 

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.