S.SARATH KUMAR Vs. DISTRICT COLLECTOR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Is age a mere number?. Not always. That is what the writ petitioner learnt to his utter dismay.

(2.) The petitioner belongs to a Scheduled Caste. He fell in love with Ms.Lediya who professes Christianity. Their relationship was approved by both the families. They purportedly got married on 10/6/2022 in the presence of the local panchayat president and a political functionary. The couple thereafter submitted a joint application before the second respondent on 17/6/2022. What was submitted was only a notice under Sec. 5 of The Special Marriage Act, 1954. The couple were under the fond hope that they will be issued with a marriage certificate. Though the parents of the couple had given green signal, the registering authority waved the red flag. He told them that registration was not possible because Ms.Lediya was yet to turn 21. That led to the filing of this writ petition.

(3.) The learned counsel appearing for the writ petitioner submitted that the second respondent failed to take note of Sec. 4 (c) of the Act, as per which it would be enough if the female had completed the age of 18 years. He called upon this Court to issue a direction for registering the marriage.