Bombay High Court affirms Muslim men’s right to register multiple marriages
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has ruled that a Muslim man can register more than one marriage under the Maharashtra Regulation of Marriage Bureaus and Registration of Marriages Act, 1998. The court highlighted that Muslim personal law allows multiple marriages, and there is no provision in the Act preventing the registration of such marriages.
A bench comprising Justice BP Colabawalla and Justice Somasekhar Sundareshan stated that s.7(1)(a) of the Act requires that marriages be registered in accordance with personal laws, which in the case of Muslims, permits up to four wives. The ruling came in response to a petition filed by an Indian man and his Algerian wife after the Thane Municipal Corporation refused to register their marriage—his third.
The authorities claimed the petitioners failed to provide necessary documentation and argued that the Act allows only one marriage to be registered for Muslim men. However, the couple’s advocate countered that all required documents had been submitted, and the authorities had previously registered the man’s second marriage to a Moroccan citizen.
The Court rejected the argument that only one marriage could be registered, stating that this interpretation would undermine Muslim personal laws. It instructed the Corporation to hold a personal hearing, following which a reasoned order should be issued within ten days.
The Court also protected the wife from deportation while the registration process is pending and for two weeks after its conclusion.
Senior Advocate Arshad Shaikh, with advocates Devansh Malhotra and Hafeezur Rahman, represented the couple. Advocate Anand S. Kulkarni appeared for the Thane Municipal Corporation.
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Karnataka HM G Parameshwara blames EVM for Cong debacle in Maharashtra, backs ballot papers
BENGALURU: Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara on Monday alleged Electronic Voting Machine manipulations led to the defeat of Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in just concluded assembly polls in Maharashtra.
While speaking to reporters here on Monday, he said the BJP does selective manipulations to convince people that there were no wrongdoings. He also wanted to go back to the paper ballots system.
The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra won a landslide victory in the assembly elections, shattering the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi's dream to wrest power. The BJP won the highest ever 132 seats for the party, while the Shiv Sena led by Shinde bagged 57 seats and NCP won 41 seats to take the Mahayuti total to 230 seats. Congress as part of MVA won just 16 seats.
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"We analysed the Maharashtra poll outcome deeply. We felt that in many places EVMs were manipulated," Parameshwara said. He also said an obvious question would be why not it happened in Jharkhand and elsewhere. The manipulations are done selectively so that no one can question it, he blamed.
According to him, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is a leading partner. Had the Congress been the leading partner, things would have changed. He backed the ballot papers saying that the same was discussed in Maharashtra Congress as well.
