Marriage Certificate Mishaps: Kolkata Couples To Remarry Three Years After Their Lockdown Wedding

At least 15 couples in and around Kolkata, who tied the knot during the Covid lockdown, are facing an unexpected hurdle – they must remarry due to discrepancies in their marriage registration certificates. However, the path to their second marriage is far from straightforward, as they are required to visit a district court to avert legal complications.

These couples find themselves in this situation due to irrevocable errors present in their marriage registration documents. Rectification of these mistakes is impossible, making the annulment of their existing marriage certificates the only solution. The Bengal marriage registrar’s office, responsible for issuing over 8,000 marriage certificates during the pandemic, has uncovered discrepancies in a significant number of them. Regrettably, at least 15 certificates cannot be corrected and regularized.

The affected couples, 12 of whom are Hindus, initially tied the knot under the Special Marriage Act, of 1954. After a mandatory waiting period of 30 days, they received their marriage certificates. However, upon closer examination, the certificates were found to contain serious legal uncertainties.

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The prevalent issues include vague information such as witnesses listed as ‘ABC,’ missing witness addresses, or nonexistent telephone numbers. These errors cast doubt on the accuracy of the marriage registrars’ data entry during the pandemic. Consequently, rectification of these inaccuracies is beyond the scope of the available options.

To resolve this predicament, the affected couples have been advised to annul their existing marriages through the district court and subsequently remarry. This complex procedure arises from the fact that the errors within the certificates cannot be simply amended. A comprehensive probe by the marriage registrar’s office uncovered a pattern of misinformation. Couples were misled by registrars during the lockdown, with instances where a registrar in Dunlop took advantage of the Covid restrictions to forgo physical verification and instead assured couples that he would manage all legal formalities.

As these couples grapple with the unexpected necessity to remarry, they face the challenges posed by legal intricacies and procedural hurdles. The process is a reminder of the unforeseen consequences that emerged due to the unique circumstances brought about by the pandemic.

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