Thiruvananthapuram: A court here on Monday stayed further proceedings in a petition over the alleged underage marriage of a woman who came into attention during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and later married her friend, a Muslim man, at a temple in Kerala. The Thiruvananthapuram Additional District and Sessions Court (POCSO Act), presided over by Judge Shibu M P, also sought a report from the Madhya Pradesh Police, directing the station house officer of Maheshwar police station to file it before May 20.

P Nagaraj of Neyyattinkara has sought registration of a case under the POCSO Act against CPM state secretary M V Govindan, Education Minister V Sivankutty, Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim, Mohammad Farman Khan (who married the woman), Poovar Arumannur Nayinar Devi Temple president N Hareendran, and secretary Ajithkumar, alleging facilitation of an underage marriage. The petition also seeks cancellation of the marriage and a probe. 

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What prosecution argued?

During the hearing, the prosecution submitted that the woman was 18 years old at the time of marriage.

It was also submitted that the woman’s father had later applied to the Madhya Pradesh Revenue Divisional Officer under pressure to alter records, and that certain birth records were allegedly misused from her brother’s hospital documents to indicate she was a minor at the time of marriage.

The prosecution further informed the court that the claim of minority was based on what it described as a fabricated birth certificate.

To support its stand, the prosecution placed several documents before the court indicating the woman’s age as above 18 at the time of marriage. These included an Aadhaar card from May 20, 2015, when she was seven years old, a revised Aadhaar card dated January 6, 2026, voter ID, PAN card, ration card, electoral roll entry, birth certificate and marriage certificate.

Parallel legal proceedings and police action

Kerala High Court has granted interim relief to Khan, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, from arrest in the Madhya Pradesh police case. Khan and the woman claim a false case was registered, asserting she is above 18 years, and have sought police protection fearing they may be taken to Madhya Pradesh. A Madhya Pradesh Police team that reached Kochi to interrogate them returned without completing the process.