Mumbai Groups Demand Government Appoint Special Marriage Officer to Clear Backlog
The Watchdog Foundation and members of the Christian community have urged the Maharashtra government to immediately appoint a Special Marriage Officer in Mumbai. The post has remained vacant for several months, stalling the solemnisation and registration of marriages under the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
Watchdog Foundation trustees Nicholas Almeida and Advocate Godfrey Pimenta submitted a representation addressing the issue to the Principal Secretary and Commissioner of the Social Justice Department, with a copy sent to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. They stated that the prolonged vacancy has left numerous couples in limbo despite having completed statutory formalities, such as issuing marriage notices.
While the Special Marriage Act is commonly used by interfaith couples, many Christian couples also choose this secular legal framework for personal, legal, and other legitimate reasons. Advocate Pimenta noted that Christians usually follow up the registered marriage with a church ceremony, which was a practice not previously followed.
Due to the absence of a competent authority in Mumbai, couples who have completed their marriage formalities are being compelled to travel to Pune to have their marriage certificates stamped and authenticated. The Watchdog Foundation highlighted that this arrangement imposes additional financial costs, causes a loss of wages, and creates significant inconvenience for newly married couples and their families.
The ongoing delays have had wider consequences, disrupting education, employment, immigration, visa applications, insurance claims, and succession matters that depend on timely marriage registration.
The Watchdog Foundation described the vacancy as an administrative failure, arguing that the state has a responsibility to ensure the statutory machinery functions without interruption. The organisation has called on the government to make an immediate appointment in Mumbai, temporarily authorise another officer to handle the duties, and ensure certificates are processed locally to clear the backlog of pending applications.
