Bhopal Couple Stunned After 4 Years To Learn Their ‘Divorce’ Was Fake

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A well-educated couple in the city was defrauded in the name of divorce decree by a person claiming to be a lawyer. The couple discovered after four years that their marriage had never legally ended, despite believing they held a valid divorce decree.

The woman, a science postgraduate, and the man, a businessman, married in 2022.

However, the marriage ended almost immediately. Just two days after the wedding, the woman left her matrimonial home, alleging that her husband was impotent, and returned to live with her parents.

Shortly after the separation, an individual claiming to be a lawyer approached the estranged couple and provided them with a formal-looking document declaring their marriage dissolved.

Relieved to resolve the matter quickly, both of them readily paid the hefty fee demanded.

Despite living in the state capital and holding higher education degrees, neither spouse realised that under the law, a marriage can only be dissolved through a decree issued by family court.

Documents issued by fake lawyers, notary public, or panchayats hold no legal validity.

Now, four years later, the reality has surfaced. After discovering that their previous paperwork was entirely fake, the husband filed a court petition seeking restitution of conjugal rights.

The woman is in disbelief, is struggling to come to terms with the shocking fact that, in the eyes of the law, they are still husband and wife.

The case underscores a critical gap in legal literacy, showing how easily crooks can exploit individuals unfamiliar with a formal judicial procedure, said Shail Awasthi, counsellor handling the case at District Family Court, Bhopal.

Surprisingly, they got trapped so easily despite being well-educated, she added.