Supreme Court rules Arya Samaj's marriage certificate invalid
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to give legal recognition to a marriage certificate issued by Arya Samaj.
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reformist organization and was established by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875.
A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and BV Nagarathna said that the work and jurisdiction of Arya Samaj is not to issue marriage certificates. “Only competent authorities can issue marriage certificates. Bring the original certificate before the court,” the bench said.
The court’s observations come in a case related to a love marriage in Madhya Pradesh.
The girl’s family members had lodged an FIR against the young man accusing him of kidnapping and raping their daughter, stating that she was a minor.
The girl's family registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and under section 5(L)/6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act which deals with aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
The young man, in his petition, had said that the girl was an adult and that she had decided to get married of her own free will and right. The marriage took place in Arya Samaj Mandir.
The man also presented the marriage certificate issued by the Central Bharatiya Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, which the Supreme Court refused to accept.