Hyderabad: Thousands of couples who got married in Arya Samaj are in a confused state following the Supreme Court’s refusal on Friday to accept a marriage certificate issued by the Arya Samaj, while considering the bail application of an accused.
Deepika Malothra (name changed), a textile wholesaler, who was married at Arya Samaj in 1999 and has two grown-up children, wondered, “Is my marriage not legal? Mine was an arranged marriage and our parents were present at the wedding. Marriages have been happening there since ages.”
Sachin Jaiswal and Neha Shinde got married at Arya Samaj in Sultan Bazaar on May 12. “Our parents did not agree to our marriage. As majors who wished to live as life partners, we thought that Arya Samaj was the best and safest option,” they said.
High Court advocate R. Jagadish said, “The apex court verdict was on one particular case, where an accused had produced a marriage certificate in a case related to a minor girl’s kidnap and rape. The Arya Samaj does not have the authority to issue the age status of the couple.”
Contrary to perceptions, Arya Samaj, which has a branch at Sultan Bazaar since 1891, has also been preferred by thousands of families who have performed marriages of their children in a traditional way while also saving on time and money.
Ramchander Raju, in-charge of Arya Samaj, said, “after receiving applications, we seek birth certificates and also certificates of mental and physical fitness of the two and a separate consent of the girl. A traditional Hindu wedding is performed and a certificate is provided to the couple.”
While throwing light on the legalities of getting marriage certificates, S.M. Hussaini, a sub-registrar, said, “according to the Hindu Marriage Act, certificates can be issued after marriage is registered in a sub-registrar office in whose jurisdiction either the groom or bride should be residing.”
