The Allahabad High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the growing number of fake marriage registration cases and has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to amend the Uttar Pradesh Compulsory Marriage Registration Rules, 2017. The court emphasized the urgent need to establish a robust and verifiable system of marriage registration to prevent misuse and fraud.
Justice Vinod Diwakar, who passed the order, instructed that the revision of the rules must be completed within six months.
The court issued this directive while hearing 124 petitions filed by couples who had eloped and married without parental consent.
The timing of the order is significant as concerns have been rising about an organized network of agents using forged documents to facilitate fake marriage registrations.
The court remarked, “All sub-registrars handling marriage registrations must strictly comply with the instructions issued under the notification dated October 14, 2024.”
The October 2024 notification had mandated that for marriage registration in Uttar Pradesh, Aadhaar verification, biometric data of the bride and groom, and photographs of both parties along with two witnesses are compulsory.
It also directed that age verification must be conducted through official portals such as DigiLocker, CBSE, Uttar Pradesh Board, CRS, Passport, PAN card, Driving License, and CISCE.
Furthermore, the court stated that the priest or officiant who conducted the marriage must be physically present at the registrar’s office during the registration process.
The court clarified that these interim directives would specifically apply to cases where couples have married without the consent of their families. However, if the families of both parties are present at the time of registration, the registrar may, at their discretion, relax some or all of these conditions after being satisfied with the authenticity of the marriage.
In its detailed 44-page judgment, the court noted that in many instances, marriage certificates were found to be issued by societies that did not even exist, and such fake certificates were being used to obtain protection orders from the High Court.
The court further observed in its May 12, 2025 order that individuals listed as witnesses were also found to be fake, and their details, including Aadhaar cards, were forged. In many of the petitions, no actual marriage had taken place.
The High Court acknowledged that while some of the petitioners are genuine and genuinely require judicial protection and intervention, such cases are in the minority. Most of the petitions, it noted, were based on fabricated documents and false claims.
The directive is expected to bring significant reforms in the marriage registration process across Uttar Pradesh, aiming to curb fraudulent practices and protect the legal rights of all individuals involved.
