Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Goa govt puts question mark on Dutt-Manyata wedding

Last updated on: February 16, 2008 15:35 IST

Goa authorities have kept the marriage proceedings of Sanjay Dutt and Manyata on hold after a Margao division administrative officer suspended the residence certificate issued to Manyata.

"All the marriage registration proceedings are kept in abeyance pending further orders," Sub Registrar, Chandrakant Pissurlekar, who had accepted the declaration of marriage,  told PTI on Saturday.

Pissurlekar said that they will not allow the final signature on the marriage, which has to be done within 90 days, till the Mamlatdar (senior administrative officer in district collectorate), clears off the suspension of the residence certificate.

Manyata had attached a residence certificate of a local panchayat, recommended by a talathi (revenue officer) in South Goa Collectorate. The district administration has already suspended the talathi for recommending the issuance of the residence certificate without verifying whether Manyata really stayed in the area for six months.

Sanjay and Manyata's declaration of marriage was submitted in the sub registrar's office on February 7. Authorities state that if he second signature is not executed within 90 days, the marriage would be null and void.

There is no legal validity for the marriage until the second signature is done on the declaration, they said. The sub registrar also stated that Manyata would have to submit her decree of divorce before doing the second signature on the declaration.

"The decree has to be submitted before the final declaration of marriage and till now she is yet to submit it," Pissurlekar said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shantaram Naik has asked the Goa government to enact a legislation to regulate the procedure of issuing resident certificates in the coastal state.

The issue of resident certificate came into focus after the state government raised questions on the certificate issued to Manyata. The certificate is mandatory to register a marriage in the coastal state, according to the provisions of the Portugese Uniform Civil Code prevalent here.

The Portuguese law requires attested xerox copies of the birth certificate, ration card and school leaving certificate or any other document as proof of residence, the MP said, adding that the genuineness of the document produced by the actress needs to be examined properly.

The Rajya Sabha member from Goa said the recent incident in where Manyata allegedly obtained a resident certificate on grounds that she was residing for more than six months in a house in Margao and subsequently made a declaration before the sub-registrar for getting the marriage registered, should be an eye opener to the state government, when, in fact, the actress has never lived in the town for the said period.

Dutt had married his long time girlfriend Manyata on February 7.

The wedding, which was attended by close friends, was performed under the Special Marriage Act in Goa. The marriage was performed according to Hindu rituals.

Also Read: Sanjay Dutt weds Manyata

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.