An observation was made by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, while it was providing strict guidelines to be issued to the notaries and oath commissioners for not executing such type of deed, failing which their license would be terminated.
As per the Court,
“The job of the Notary is defined under the Notary Act. He is not supposed to perform the marriage by executing documents. Neither the Notary is authorized to perform the marriage nor competent to execute the divorce deed.”
A Bail Petition was filed by one Mr. Mukesh, who got arrested for the offences punishable under Section 420, 467, and 468/34 of the Indian Penal Code. The hearing was happening before a single bench of Justice Vivek Rusia.
A written complaint was submitted by the complainant, Jitendra, who has filed the complaint in Police Station Jaora City on September 16, 2020, against Gayatribai, Nageshwar, and Omprakash. It was alleged that with common intention, these three persons had performed Jitendra’s Marriage with Gayatribai, but after 5-6 days of marriage, Gayatribai fled from his house with all her belongings. Jitendra gave Rs 1,50,000 to the applicant for the marriage and when he enquired about Gayatribai from the applicant, the applicant threatened to falsely implicate him in a rape case.
The police had recovered stamp papers during the investigation and arrested Gayatribai, Nageshwar, and Omprakash, and their statements were also recorded by the Police under Section 27 of the Evidence Act.
As per the Counsel’s Applicant, the applicant was not aware of the past antecedents of Gayatribai, he only introduced Gayatribai to the complainant for marriage and thereafter, he does not know the whereabouts of her, and therefore he is eligible to get bail. In response, the Counsel for the state said that the applicant took Rs 1,50,000 from the complainant through a notary who is not authorized to perform the marriage and he also had signed on the marriage agreement as a witness, therefore, he is not entitled to bail.
Hearing both sides, the court said,
“Had he (applicant) properly guided and refused to execute the marriage agreement to the complainant, then the present offence would not have been committed. The Law Department of the State is required to look into these matters as to how Notaries and Oath Commissioners are involving themselves in executing the document in respect of the marriage, divorce, etc, which are not permissible under the law.”
“Not only the accused persons who conspired in performing the forged marriage of the complainant but the notary who executed the marriage agreement is also equally responsible in this case” the court remarked while granting bail to the applicant upon furnishing a personal bond of the sum of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount.
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