A fake marriage registration scam has surfaced in Godhra, Gujarat. A talati-cum-mantri (village panchayat secretary) of Bhadrala village in Godhra registered 100 fake marriages in just one month.
An investigation found that over the last six months, he registered 550 fake marriages and issued certificates. He has been suspended and the involvement of more people in the racket is being investigated.
Officials said couples from not just Gujarat but also Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, and Rajasthan were obtaining fake marriage certificates through this talati. The officials are also probing the reasons behind couples obtaining fake marriage certificates.
Racket uncovered
The racket to issue marriage certificates without proper documents came to light when parents of those who got their marriages registered at Bhadrala made RTI applications to get details of the registration of the marriages of their wards.
As Bhadrala’s talati-cum-mantri did not reply to these questions properly, the parents filed appeals with the taluka development officer (TDO). The TDO in turn sought this information from the talati who kept trying to delay the matter.
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