Want to get your marriage registered? It’s not just your spouse’s consent that matters. Registration offices in Chennai and neighbouring districts are demanding consent letters from the groom’s parents. What is more weird, they don’t insist on such a document from the bride’s side, as a Chennai couple recently found out.
Sandya Raj* (25), of Chennai decided to get her marriage registered earlier this week. Sandya, parents, husband Rohan* (29) and his parents went to Thiruporur registration office with documents mandated under TN Registration of Marriages Act 2009.
Upon arrival, the officials asked her to produce a consent letter from the groom’s dad. “They also claimed my father-in-law’s letter had to be notarised, else the marriage would not be registered,” she said.
When Express did some fact checking, all officials unanimously agreed they seek such letters. One official in a registration office in Kancheepuram claimed she actually sought consent letters from parents on both sides to prevent “illegal” weddings.
When Express did some fact checking, all officials unanimously agreed they seek such letters. One official in a registration office in Kancheepuram claimed she actually sought consent letters from parents on both sides to prevent “illegal” weddings.
The official said she started insisting on the letter ever since the “Supreme Court passed some order in this regard”. If the couple fails to produce the letter, she would hold an inquiry and talk to the parents. “It is up to the parents to stop the wedding. If they don’t get back, we do the registration.”
The official of Thiruporur town panchayat, who did not want to be identified, admitted he had asked for the letter and justified it, claiming he was acting on a “circular issued by the office of Inspector General of Registration a couple of months ago”.
But Inspector General of Registrations J Kumaragurubaran denied the existence of any such circular and said the last one sent by his office was on January 14, 2016.
“Registration officials cannot insist on parent’s consent. We will warn them if they force couples for it,” he said. He, however, added that the registrar has the right to refuse to register the marriage if he or she finds the documents suspicious.
Vaikunt Ramesh*, in his mid-twenties, and his girlfriend decided to get married last year, but did not want to inform their parents. The couple, along with their friends visited the registration office in Nungambakkam where they too were asked to produce the consent letter. However, he said he got around the problem by paying a few thousand rupees as bribe.
“We wanted to get done with the wedding without drawing too much attention. We were scared that they might go to the police, which is why we decided to pay the speed money,” he said alleging that the officials at the registration office deliberately make the procedure cumbersome till you are frustrated and don’t mind having a lighter wallet so as to celebrate the union in peace.
(*Names changed to protect identity)
(*Names changed to protect identity)
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