A current case from Ahmedabad’s Gheekanta Court docket has raised critical questions after a Muslim youth and a Hindu woman reportedly arrived on the marriage registration workplace dressed as attorneys in order that nobody might recognise them. The incident has now taken a extra troubling flip after particulars emerged suggesting that the registrar himself might have been concerned in facilitating the wedding. Registrar MM Syed had allowed the couple to enter the wedding registration workplace by a again door almost two hours earlier than the workplace was scheduled to open.
OpIndia Gujarati’s investigation into the matter has revealed additional particulars suggesting that registrar Syed was serving to Muslim youths not solely from Ahmedabad but additionally from different districts and states to register marriages with Hindu ladies on the identical courtroom workplace. The matter first got here to gentle on 4 March and since then a number of particulars have continued to emerge.
Mom says daughter was taken away months earlier
On this case, the Hindu woman’s mom mentioned that the accused Salman is a resident of Pethapur and that he had taken her daughter away a number of months earlier. In line with her, when Salman got here to the courtroom in 2026 to register the wedding, it got here to gentle that the Hindu woman was pregnant.
She additional mentioned that Salman was pressuring her daughter to carry out nikah with him. The incident created rigidity contained in the courtroom premises and members of the authorized fraternity started inspecting the matter extra intently.
Knowledge suggests a number of such marriages had been registered
To know the matter additional, OpIndia visited the Gheekanta Court docket and examined accessible information. Through the examination of knowledge from the final 4 months, particulars emerged indicating that registrar Syed was extensively concerned in facilitating marriages between Muslim males and Hindu ladies.
Data from December 2025 to January 2026 confirmed that in simply this two month interval, 11 marriages had been registered the place the groom was Muslim and the bride Hindu.
The matter didn’t cease there. A few of these circumstances concerned people coming from exterior Gujarat. In line with the info accessible, some Muslim youths had come from Uttar Pradesh whereas others had travelled from Mumbai to register marriages with Hindu ladies at this identical registration workplace.
After the current incident got here to gentle, attorneys submitted a criticism demanding that registrar Syed be made a co accused within the case and dismissed from his put up. OpIndia spoke to one of many attorneys who was a part of the criticism.
Lawyer recounts what occurred contained in the registrar’s workplace
Sudha Christian, a lawyer and notary working on the Gheekanta Court docket, spoke to OpIndia about what occurred on the day of the incident.
She mentioned that on the day of the incident the woman’s members of the family had arrived exterior the courtroom round 10 am and had been asking to go contained in the registrar’s workplace. They had been advised that the workplace would open at 11 am. Nevertheless, the household insisted that their daughter was already contained in the workplace.
Christian mentioned she had some work contained in the workplace and subsequently went inside. When she entered, she noticed a Hindu woman and a Muslim youth standing contained in the registrar’s workplace wearing attorneys’ garments. One other girl lawyer named Manisha and a police constable had been additionally current there.
Christian mentioned she questioned why the Hindu woman had been allowed entry in a lawyer’s coat and why the registrar was not objecting. At that second, the police constable closed the workplace door and mentioned that the door wouldn’t be opened till the wedding was accomplished as a result of opening it might create a commotion exterior.
Plan was to disguise the couple as attorneys
Christian mentioned she instantly knowledgeable her good friend, lawyer Meena. Following this, advocate Meena Barot arrived and knowledgeable others {that a} woman had entered the registrar’s workplace disguised as a lawyer.
Christian mentioned the plan had been devised by registrar M. M. Syed and advocate Mittal Jadeja. In line with her, they deliberate that if the couple entered within the guise of attorneys nobody would query them and the wedding would happen quietly. She additional mentioned that advocate Mittal Jadeja had withdrawn the wedding vakalatnama.
She mentioned this amounted to fraud as a result of solely licensed advocates are permitted to put on the lawyer’s coat inside courtroom premises. Christian additionally mentioned that regardless of the woman’s dad and mom being current exterior, registrar Syed didn’t permit the woman to fulfill them. She mentioned that after she took images and circulated them, folks gathered there and the matter got here to gentle.
‘Fraud dedicated whereas sporting a lawyer’s coat’
One other lawyer and notary, Ragini Dave, additionally spoke in regards to the criticism filed by advocates. Dave mentioned that on the day of the incident the woman’s dad and mom, a number of attorneys and members of Hindu organisations had been current within the courtroom premises. In line with her, the problem was not merely a few marriage however about fraud dedicated by sporting the black coat related to the authorized career.
She mentioned that police personnel from Karanj, Madhupura and Shahpur police stations had been current there and a lot of advocates protested. Dave mentioned that the police inspectors and the DySP of the involved police stations had been current and calls for had been positioned earlier than them for motion.
She mentioned that through the confrontation the couple began claiming that the coat worn by the woman was not a lawyer’s coat however that of a waiter. Dave identified that there’s a clear distinction between the coat worn by a waiter and that worn by a lawyer.
The lawyer neighborhood submitted an utility demanding motion towards the accused and registration of an FIR. The criticism was submitted at Karanj police station. Dave additional mentioned that usually on the day of marriage ladies put on conventional apparel corresponding to choli and sari and that folks don’t get married sporting black coats and uniforms. In line with her, the association indicated an try and mislead folks.
She mentioned that advocate Mittal Jadeja had introduced the couple to the registrar’s workplace and that the whole plan was designed to mislead these current.
Couple was taken contained in the ‘inexperienced hall’
Dave additional defined that usually when {couples} arrive for marriage registration they’re made to face exterior registrar Syed’s glass cabin. On this case, nonetheless, the couple had been seated contained in the cabin.
She mentioned they had been taken inside what’s known as the “inexperienced hall”. No attorneys had been allowed to enter that space, and the woman was additionally not allowed to fulfill her members of the family ready exterior.
Sudha Christian mentioned that the appliance submitted by attorneys talked about Part 319(2) of the BNS, below which disciplinary motion could be taken by the Bar Council and complaints of dishonest could be registered.
She mentioned that showing inside courtroom premises as a bogus lawyer ought to appeal to punishment. Christian additionally questioned how the registrar allowed unknown people to enter the workplace the place even attorneys are usually not permitted and the place necessary paperwork are saved.
Questions over challan cost timing
Christian additionally raised questions relating to the cost of the challan within the case. She mentioned that challans will not be usually accepted after 4 pm, but on this case the cost was made round 6 pm. She mentioned this additionally raises questions in regards to the method wherein the method was carried out.
She additional mentioned that one other particular person named Wasim was additionally linked to the matter. Wasim had earlier labored on the workplace however had been transferred. In line with Christian, he nonetheless functioned as an administrator for Syed.
Christian mentioned that Syed and Mittal Jadeja collectively deliberate the whole association and that each must be faraway from their positions. She added that it’s doable that related preparations might have been carried out elsewhere by registrars and attorneys who information such circumstances.
She additionally mentioned that the woman’s dad and mom had been visiting the workplace for a few month and had requested the registrar to tell them if their daughter appeared there. In line with her, Syed had advised them that he would inform them.
Nevertheless, when the woman ultimately got here to the workplace, she was stored contained in the inexperienced hall and was not allowed to fulfill her dad and mom.
Registrar stopped circumstances involving Muslim ladies and Hindu boys
Through the investigation, OpIndia additionally obtained data suggesting that when circumstances concerned a Muslim woman and a Hindu boy, registrar Syed wouldn’t permit the wedding to happen.
In line with advocates, he would one way or the other inform the Muslim woman’s dad and mom or family members and in lots of situations the wedding can be stopped. OpIndia spoke to advocate Abhi Rajput, who mentioned he had witnessed one such case.
Rajput mentioned that two months earlier a Hindu boy and a Muslim woman had approached him and each wished to marry one another of their very own free will. Nevertheless, as the top of the obligatory 30 day discover interval approached and the marriage date drew nearer, the Muslim woman’s dad and mom had been incited to not permit the wedding.
Rajput mentioned that when the couple reached the registrar’s workplace on the day of the wedding, the woman’s dad and mom all of the sudden arrived and took her away. He mentioned the boy was not financially robust and subsequently didn’t pursue additional authorized motion.
Rajput mentioned that when an individual holds a registrar stage put up, which is a Class 2 authorities place, folks count on equity and justice. In such circumstances, he mentioned, circumstances shouldn’t be dealt with in a one sided method on the idea of faith.
Advocates demand motion towards registrar
Rajput additional mentioned that when such actions happen, basic rights are additionally affected. He mentioned that registrars who behave in such a way must be faraway from service and authorized motion must be initiated towards them.
Rajput additionally mentioned that after his expertise he posted a video in regards to the matter on social media. Following this, a number of advocates commented that when the woman is Muslim and the boy Hindu, the registrar obstructs the method.
He mentioned that in such circumstances Syed creates issues throughout documentation and harasses candidates over paperwork. Rajput mentioned that he had additionally obtained data suggesting that many circumstances involving Muslim boys and Hindu ladies from totally different locations had been registered at this identical workplace.
Questions raised about loopholes within the marriage registration course of
The developments surrounding this case have raised bigger questions in regards to the functioning of the wedding registration system. Advocates mentioned that if authorities officers start exhibiting bias on the idea of faith and if the uniform of attorneys, who’re anticipated to guard the authorized system, is misused to deceive others, it undermines the credibility of the authorized framework itself.
Legal professionals additionally mentioned that the incident highlights how loopholes within the present marriage registration course of could also be exploited by officers and intermediaries.
Towards this backdrop, the proposed reforms and new marriage registration legal guidelines being thought of by the Gujarat authorities are being seen by some as needed steps. Measures corresponding to higher transparency within the registration course of, obligatory presence or notification of fogeys or guardians and restrictions on the discretionary powers of registrars could also be required to forestall such networks from working.
Advocates mentioned that except strict authorized safeguards are applied, the courtroom premises, that are thought of a spot of justice, might proceed to be misused for such actions.
This report was initially revealed in OpIndia Gujarati which could be checked right here.
