Advocates’ body for probe into marriage registration fraud

Margao: The South Goa Advocates Association has asked the South Goa SP to probe widespread fraud in marriage registrations at the Margao sub-registrar’s office.
The petition, filed by association president Prasad Naik, alleged systematic use of forged residence certificates for marriage registrations, with touts and fake advocates facilitating the fraudulent documentation. The issue gained attention last March, when Salcete sub-registrar Suraj Vernekar filed a complaint with the Fatorda police after discovering several residence certificates bearing identical numbers but different names. He urged the Fatorda police to book an offence against the person responsible “for creating bogus residence certificates in the name of mamlatdars of Salcete”.
“Despite the sub-registrar’s complaint, police inaction has emboldened these criminal elements,” stated the advocates’ petition. The association’s investigation, conducted through RTI applications, revealed that the fraud goes beyond residence certificates to include various other forged documents, including name correction certificates. Under Goan law, at least one party to a marriage must provide proof of residence in the state through a valid certificate. The advocates’ body claimed that unauthorised agents are exploiting this requirement by producing fake documentation, often while falsely presenting themselves as legal professionals.