Supreme Court also agrees: Physical presence is not necessary for marriage registration, laws move with technology

While filing a petition in the High Court, Gurugram resident Ami Ranjan and his wife Misha Verma said that both live in different countries. While Ami Ranjan lives in London, his wife Misha Verma is working in America. The petitioner had told that they were married in Gurugram in 2019. After marriage, both of them went to their respective country of work. Ami had told the High Court that he had to go to the US to meet his wife and when the visa was applied for, a marriage certificate was sought. When an application was made to the marriage certificate officer in Gurugram for the certificate, he said that he would have to appear physically and sign it. When the petitioner asked to appear through video conferencing, the officer refused it. This was challenged by the petitioner in the High Court, but the Single Bench dismissed the petition. When this was challenged in the division bench, the division bench ruled in favor of the petitioner. The Bench said in the judgment that in this case the petitioner is not seeking exemption from appearance but is seeking permission to appear through video conferencing. The High Court said that today is the age of technology and when a case can be presented through video conferencing, it is also valid for registration of marriages. The High Court had allowed the registration of marriage of both with the help of video conferencing and digital signature. However, physical presence at the time of registration of relatives as witnesses was made mandatory. The Haryana government challenged this decision by filing an appeal in the Supreme Court, which was rejected by the Supreme Court.