Woman’s marriage certificate declared invalid by Madras HC

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently granted relief to a woman, who wanted her marriage certificate to be declared invalid on the ground that she was only 17 years old at the time of registering the certificate.  

The facts of the case, as mentioned in the judgment, were that the woman got acquainted with a 22-year-old man when she was 17. The man misled her and took her to Sub Registrar office in Thoothukudi Keelur and made her sign some documents, which was later found to be a marriage certificate, she alleged.

The certificate was forged to prove that the man and she got married at a church in Punnaikayal. Stating that the man had even married another person now, she prayed the court to cancel the marriage certificate. Justice N Anand Venkatesh opined that the sub registrar ought to have had ascertained the age of petitioner before registering the certificate.