Allahabad High Court Raises Alarm Over Fake Marriage Certificates

The Allahabad High Court has expressed serious concerns about the rampant issue of registering marriages based on fake marriage certificates.

Highlighting the involvement of officials from marriage registration offices, the court noted that these fraudulent certificates often substantiate claims of valid marriages, allowing couples to seek police protection through the courts.

Insights:

In response to this troubling trend, the court has demanded detailed records of marriages registered in the past year from the Assistant Inspector General of Registration (Stamp and Registration) of Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Justice Vinod Diwakar emphasized that such fraudulent activities are not feasible without the collusion of local police and administrative authorities.

The court made this observation during the hearing of a petition filed by Shanidev from Etawah, who sought protection from his family and alleged threats to his life.

Shanidev claimed to have married on 3 June 2007, at Arya Samaj Mandir in Greater Noida and had subsequently applied for marriage registration based on the issued certificate.

However, the government lawyer contested this, claiming that the application in Ghaziabad relied on a fake document.

The court underscored that while individuals have the freedom to choose their life partners and live in marital or live-in relationships, it cannot grant protection based on forged documents.

The court pointed out that unauthorized organizations frequently issue fake marriage certificates, leading to a surge in protection petitions in the courts.

According to the court, many such fraudulent societies or organizations are based in Noida or Ghaziabad, with an estimated 10-15 cases of fraudulent marriages occurring daily.

These marriages are then registered on fake documents in Prayagraj, Ghaziabad, or Noida.

In light of these revelations, the court has summoned the Assistant Inspector General of Registration (Stamp and Registration) of Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar to appear at the next hearing, along with the details of marriages registered over the last year.

Additionally, the court has instructed the Inspector General of Stamp to compile district-wise records of marriages registered within Uttar Pradesh from 1 August 2023, to 1 August 2024.

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