Police in Vadodara have taken a couple into custody following the discovery that their marriage was illegally registered in a remote village they have never set foot in. The fraudulent registration occurred in Kanjipani village, located in the Jambughoda taluka of Panchmahal district.
Father's Complaint Uncovers the Scam
The entire case came to light after the young woman's father raised an official complaint on December 7. He challenged the legitimacy of the marriage certificate issued by Arjun Meghwal, the talati (village official) of Kanjipani. While authorities are now examining a staggering 1,116 marriage certificates issued by Meghwal, a formal First Information Report (FIR) has been filed specifically for this case. The FIR lists the woman, the man she married, and the talati as the accused parties.
Law enforcement arrested the couple on Sunday. The male suspect was remanded to police custody for two days for further questioning, while the woman was placed in judicial custody. Jambughoda police inspector Sheetal Butiya stated that initial investigations confirmed the couple never traveled to Kanjipani for their wedding ceremony or its legal registration.
Impossible Timelines and Glaring Discrepancies
Inspector Butiya revealed that preliminary inquiry points to the involvement of a lawyer who supposedly facilitated the registration on the couple's behalf. "We will also question the lawyer to establish through whom and how the marriage was registered in Kanjipani," Butiya said, emphasizing that someone managed to complete the process without the couple's physical presence.
The father approached the authorities after receiving a copy of the marriage certificate, as the wedding had been conducted against his wishes. His suspicions deepened when he requested documents from the Kanjipani panchayat office, uncovering several major inconsistencies.
Official records showed a glaring anomaly: the Rs 50 stamp papers used for affidavits from the bride, groom, priest, and witnesses were issued in Unjha town of Mehsana district at 2:32 pm and 2:35 pm on November 14. Astonishingly, these same affidavits were submitted in Kanjipani—nearly 250 km away—by 4:00 pm the same day.
Investigators noted that it was physically impossible for the affidavits to be prepared, transported across districts, and submitted within a span of less than 1.5 hours. Another major contradiction emerged in the documents: the woman's affidavit claimed the marriage was solemnized at a temple in Harij in Patan district, while the affidavits from the groom, priest, and witnesses stated the ceremony took place at a temple in Kanjipani.
Viral Video Sparks Wider Probe
The complaint was formally lodged after a video went viral on social media. In the video, Talati Arjun Meghwal is allegedly heard boasting that he earned Rs 50 lakh by issuing approximately 2,000 marriage certificates. This claim has prompted police to widen their investigation to determine if a larger organized racket is behind these dubious marriage registrations. Authorities have confirmed that a thorough investigation is currently underway.
