Overview
- Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma introduced the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, as opposition MLAs were out after a walkout; debate and a vote are scheduled later in the winter session.
- The bill makes polygamy a criminal offence punishable by up to seven years in prison, rising to ten years if an existing marriage is concealed, with fines and enhanced penalties for repeat offenders.
- Abettors such as village heads, gaonburahs, qazis, parents and legal guardians can be prosecuted, and those who knowingly solemnise such marriages face separate penalties.
- Police would be empowered to intervene before a prohibited ceremony, declare it illegal and disperse the gathering, with jurisdiction extending to residents who marry outside Assam and to non-residents who own property in the state or receive state-funded benefits.
- The draft excludes Scheduled Tribes and delays application in Sixth Schedule areas, provides a compensation mechanism for affected women, and bars convicted offenders from state-funded jobs, benefits and local body elections; earlier lawful marriages remain unaffected.