Kochi : Kerala High Court has held that comrades tying the knot by exchanging red garlands at party offices has no legal sanctity.
The court observed that marriages should be registered either by the marriage officer or by the religious authority. Marriages conducted at places like CPM’s offices should not be registered under Kerala Registration of Marriages (Common) Rules, 2008, it said. A division bench comprising Justice Antony Dominic and Justice Anil K. Narendran also asked the state government to ensure that appropriate instructions are given to the marriage officers to prevent this illegality from continuing.
The bench made the observation while considering a habeas corpus plea filed by one Sabu K. Alias seeking custody of his daughter who went missing from February 10 this year. The police produced the petitioner’s daughter and said that her marriage was conducted with a Nedumudi native on February 19 at the CPM local committee office. The court observed that the marriage is not legally valid. The lovers later informed the court that the marriage will be registered under the Hindu Marriage Act.
The court said immediate attention of the authorities is needed under the rules. The certificate of marriage issued under Rule 11(1) of the Kerala Registr-ation of Marriages (Common) Rules, 2008 produced by the girl and her lover is not valid, the court said.
