Agartala, February 12, 2026: Sepahijala district administration has issued a stern warning that no one involved in child marriage will be spared. Parents, relatives, priests, decorators, and even neighbours, anyone participating in such ceremonies will face legal action and punishment. Delivering this uncompromising message, Additional District Magistrate Subhash Dutta emphasized that child marriage must be eradicated from the district.

The statement came during a key workshop on child protection and prevention of child marriage, held this morning at the Sepahijala District Magistrate’s office via video conferencing. Organized jointly by the Center for Development and Peace Studies (Guwahati), UNICEF, and the district administration, the meeting highlighted the alarming prevalence of child marriage in the region. Dutta revealed that last year alone, 319 girls were rescued from child marriage, and 13 cases were filed in the past two years. He urged collective effort to make Sepahijala child marriage-free.

Dr. Debashree Debnath, Assistant Professor at National Law University Tripura, stressed that legal consequences must be clearly communicated to the public: anyone involved in marrying off underage girls will face prosecution. She also underscored the role of schools, teachers, and student forums in spreading awareness, adding that media has the most crucial responsibility in ensuring child protection.

Officials from the Social Welfare and Social Education Department, representatives from NGOs, and senior journalists from Bishalgarh and Sonamura press clubs attended the workshop. Journalists pledged full cooperation with the administration to safeguard children and prevent child marriage. Authorities confirmed that the workshop discussed multiple strategies to strengthen child protection and enforce laws against underage marriage.