MAJLIS MANCH Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner is a registered public trust and functions in the capacity of a non-Government organisation. It has filed this public interest litigation in which a complaint has been made that several shops commonly known as "Marriage Sansthas" or "Marriage Bureaus" are in existence outside the Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Anant Kanekar Marg, Bandra (East), Mumbai 400 051, in other places in the City of Mumbai as well as in the State of Maharashtra. It is alleged that most of these Sansthas and Bureaus are run by the practising lawyers and notaries whose names are painted on big boards, which are put up outside the marriage sansthas. Their activities include registration and dissolution of marriages. The official fee for registering the marriage at the office of respondent No.4 is Rs.50.00, but these marriage sansthas charge exorbitant fee and have become money spinning rackets. According to the petitioner, unfortunately, members of the Bar are involved in such illegal activities. They lure the public with the promise of instant marriage and instant divorce.

(2.) THE petitioner has annexed large number of photographs of the big size boards, indicating the names of various marriage bureaus and sansthas. Adjoining to these boards, there are boards of various practising lawyers clearly giving impression that the lawyers are either running the bureaus and sansthas or at least closely associated with them.

(3.) IT is also prayed for a writ of mandamus against the State of Maharashtra and the Commissioner of Police for Greater Mumbai prohibiting them from allowing any person/Advocate/ Notary establishing or carrying on any activity purporting to solemnize or dissolve a marriage in the proximity of any court premises.