New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday refused to accept a marriage certificate issued by Arya Samaj and rejected a bail plea of an accused booked for kidnap and rape of a minor girl.
A vacation bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and BV Nagarathna rejected the submission of the counsel for the accused that the girl is a major and they have married in an Arya Samaj' temple and a marriage certificate is on record.
The bench said, "Arya Samaj has no business giving marriage certificate. This is the work of authorities. Show the real certificate."
On May 5, 2022, the Rajasthan High Court had dismissed the bail application of the accused who was arrested in connection with the FIR lodged at Police Station Padukalan, Nagaur for the offence punishable under Sections 363, 366A, 384, 376(2)(n), 384 IPC and Section 5(L)/6 of POCSO Act.
Moreover, in this case, the Supreme Court had agreed to hear the petition challenging the order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in April. On April 4, the top court had stayed a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that had directed the Arya Samaj' to solemnise marriages in accordance with the provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
The top court had stayed the order on a plea filed by Madhya Bharat Arya Pratinidhi Sabha' and has sought a response from the Madhya Pradesh government on the plea.
The Sabha has challenged the High Court order which had on December 17, last year upheld a single-judge verdict directing the organisation to amend its 2016 guidelines and incorporate, within a month, provisions of the Special Marriage Act.