Assam Ward Member Disqualified After Inquiry Finds Child Marriage Violation

Guwahati: Nagaon officials stripped Azizur Rahman of his position as a ward member for the Maheripar Gaon Panchayat. He represented Ward No. 4 in the Bagriguri Development Block. The axe fell after a probe into allegations that Rahman filed fake documents during his election bid.

Investigators dug into his background. They confirmed Rahman was born January 31, 1999. His first child arrived August 7, 2016. The math proved he was only 17 when he became a father. This violated state child marriage laws.

The Assistant Commissioner led the probe. Reports from the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad and the Block Development Officer backed the findings. Nagaon District Commissioner Debashish Sharma issued the final order to cancel the membership. Now, Ward No. 4 sits vacant. The state government continues to push against child marriage as it works to "enforce legal provisions related to the practice."