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Marriages between NRIs, Indian citizens must be registered in India: Law panel
The recommendation was made by the law panel chairman Justice (Retd) Ritu Raj Awasthi to law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
The Law Commission on Friday recommended that all marriages between Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and Indian citizens must be registered in India to curb fraudulent marriages and other illegal practices such as deception and abandonment. According to the law panel, the rising cases of fraudulent marriages is a “worrisome trend”.
The recommendation was made by the law panel chairman Justice (Retd) Ritu Raj Awasthi in a report ‘law or matrimonial issues relating to NRIs and overseas citizens of India’ - submitted to law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday.
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“The rising occurrence of fraudulent marriages involving NRIs marrying Indian partners is a worrisome trend…Several reports highlight an increasing pattern where these marriages turn out to be deceptive, putting Indian spouses, especially women, in precarious situations,” the report read, as quoted by news agency PTI.
“It is further recommended that all marriages between the NRIs/OCIs and Indian citizens should be made compulsorily registered in India,” it further read.
According to the law panel chief, the legislation should also apply to those individuals who come within the definition of 'Overseas Citizens of India' (OCIs) as laid down in the Citizenship Act, 1955.
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Awasthi, in the report, also recommended that the legislation should include provisions on divorce, maintenance of spouse, custody, and maintenance of children, and serving of summons, warrants, or judicial documents on the NRIs and OCIs. Along with this, he recommended that requisite amendments need to be introduced in the Passports Act, 1967, to mandate the declaration of marital status, the linking of a spouse's passport with the other, and the mentioning of the marriage registration number on the passports of both spouses.
(With inputs from agencies)
