In an unusual arrangement, twin sisters from Mumbai, who are IT professionals, married the same man in a ceremony held in Solapur district, police said on Sunday.
Videos of the wedding that took place in Malshiras tehsil on Friday have gone viral on social media. However, things are not looking great for the newlywed twins and their husband.
Based on a complaint filed be a local resident, Rahul Bharat, a non-cognisable offence under section 494 (marrying again during lifetime of husband or wife) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the bridegroom, Atul Uttam Autade.
The two sisters reportedly decided to marry the same man as they couldn’t bear parting ways after marriage. Their family consented to the strange demand of the twins, said officials.
The police complaint states that Autade, a resident of Mhalung in Solapur, at around 12.30pm solemnised his first marriage with 36-year-old Rinky Padgaonkar and then married sister Pinky Padgaonkar during the same wedding ceremony that was held at Galande Hotel. The Padgaonkar family resides in Chandivali West, Mumbai.
The complainant found the marriage objectionable, according to Solapur rural superintendent of police Shirish Sardeshpande. A complaint was registered in this regard based on the evidence, he said.
“A non-cognisable offence has been lodged. We will take the court’s permission and proceed ahead with further investigation. The law states that a person can marry with only one woman at a time. We have preliminary information that both the sisters are close and wanted to stay together. Further investigation is underway,” Sardeshpande said.
{{/usCountry}}“A non-cognisable offence has been lodged. We will take the court’s permission and proceed ahead with further investigation. The law states that a person can marry with only one woman at a time. We have preliminary information that both the sisters are close and wanted to stay together. Further investigation is underway,” Sardeshpande said.
{{/usCountry}}In the video that went viral on social media, the names of the brides and bridegroom were written prominently, and people were seen cheering the twins, who tried to garland the bridegroom at the same time.
“Whether the marriage is legal or not has to be checked as per the Marriage Act. The objection to this kind of marriage has to come from the first wife. We need to first find out whether all the marriage related rituals took place or not ,” prominent lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar said.
“The bridegroom has a tours and travels business in Mumbai and the wedding was organised by him in his home town,” Akluj police station in-charge Arun Sugavkar said. “Since the complaint was registered only yesterday (December 3), we are yet to divulge the contact details of the bridegroom.”
Nana Galande, owner of the hotel where the wedding took place, said: “Both families had approached to organise the wedding at the hotel. I spoke to both the brides and the bridegroom and they gave their mutual consent. I have also taken their identity card details that includes Aadhaar and PAN cards.”