Kolkata Police has ordered stricter surveillance, faster complaint response and improved case records after 92 child marriages were reported across greater Kolkata over the past two years, with the highest concentration in areas under the South-East and Bhangar divisions.
Police Commissioner Ajay Nand issued the instructions after the issue was discussed at the force’s monthly crime conference last Saturday, according to police sources. Officers have been told to act immediately when a child marriage is reported or detected and to pursue legal action wherever required.
The reported cases are concentrated in Tiljala, Topsia and Karaya under the South-East Division, and in North Kashipur and Bijoyganj Bazaar under the Bhangar division. More than 70 girls were reportedly married off in these two divisions alone during the past one-and-a-half years, police sources said.
Police officials said the force had earlier faced gaps in surveillance and record-keeping. Complaints that underage girls were being married off were not always treated with urgency, and only a small number of minors were rescued, according to the report. Police also do not have clear data on how many teenage girls left their homes after marriage or did not return.
Some of the girls involved in the cases cannot currently be traced. Police suspect that some may have moved away after marriage, while others may have been trafficked. These possibilities remain subject to investigation, and the available police information does not establish the whereabouts or circumstances of every missing girl.
Following directions from Lalbazar, police stations have started collecting information on earlier child marriage cases in their jurisdictions. The exercise is intended to identify underage girls who have already been married and determine whether any can still be rescued.
Police stations have also been instructed to maintain regular watch over child marriage in their areas and conduct awareness campaigns, particularly in the South-East and Bhangar divisions. Officers will visit local communities to explain to families that girls below 18 cannot legally be married and that violations can lead to arrests.
Officials cited poverty, social conditions and limited awareness as major factors behind child marriage. The awareness programme is also expected to communicate the health risks associated with early marriage. The action follows the state government’s emphasis on preventing child marriage and its warning of strict action against those involved.
The immediate police measures include complaint monitoring, collection of past-case details, community outreach and legal action against parents or others where required. Kolkata Police is expected to continue the surveillance and awareness work through individual police station areas, with particular attention on the divisions where the largest number of cases has been reported.
