Allahabad High Court Validates Arya Samaj Marriages: A Landmark Ruling

Significance of the Ruling

In a significant ruling, the Allahabad High Court has affirmed that marriages between two Hindus, conducted in Arya Samaj temples, are legally valid if performed according to Vedic or other appropriate Hindu rituals. Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal made this observation while dismissing a petition from Maharaj Singh, who sought to annul a criminal case related to dowry demands filed at the Hafizganj police station in Bareilly.

The petitioner argued that his marriage, as claimed by his wife, was not conducted in accordance with Hindu traditions at an Arya Samaj temple and that the marriage certificate was fraudulent.

His legal representative contended that the criminal proceedings should be dismissed, citing a previous high court ruling in the case of Ashish Morya Vs. Anamika Dhiman, which stated that mere registration of a marriage does not constitute proof of its validity.

However, the court clarified that marriages at Arya Samaj temples follow Vedic customs, including essential rituals such as 'kanyadan', 'panigrahan', 'saptapadi', and the recitation of mantras, which satisfy the requirements outlined in Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

Furthermore, the court noted that while a certificate from Arya Samaj may lack statutory validity, it is not without value. Such certificates can be substantiated by the priest who officiated the marriage, in accordance with the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023, during legal proceedings.