The Assam cabinet on Sunday evening approved the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, aimed at prohibiting and eliminating the practice of polygamy and polygamous marriages across the state, except in the Sixth Schedule areas.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the bill will be tabled in the state Assembly on November 25, the first day of the winter session, adding that offenders could face imprisonment of up to seven years, irrespective of religion.

“Polygamy is prohibited for any person who enters into a marriage while having a living spouse, or who is not legally separated from their spouse through due process of law, or is already a party to a marriage that has not yet been dissolved or annulled by a decree of divorce,” an official statement said.

The Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, also seeks to ensure compensation for women victims, who, the government said, often face immense pain and hardship as a result of polygamous marriages.