India introduced "marriage registration form" to track NRI bridegroom

New Delhi, Aug. 22, 2008
Sampuran Singh

After discussing in details by Law and Justice, Ministries of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), External Affairs and National Commission of Women, introduced a new "marriage registration form" to secure NRI brides. Now NRIs men must fill these forms before marriage. This form will include:

• Social security number of the NRI husband, passport information and any labour ID card details etc.
• It will be applicable to all states and union territories of India, under any of the three marriage registration acts.
• Under the Indian Penal Code, the signatories for false declaration of any of the information will be punished
• NRI bridegroom and brides will also have to declare that there had been no dowry (Section 498-A) involved and they have no blood relations each other.
  • Section 498 (A) of the Indian Penal Code makes it mandatory for police to book husband and his parents and other relatives/friends whoever being named on the complaint by wife or her close relatives and jail them.The courts have declared 80 per cent men charged under Section 498-A (dowry) were innocent
  • This news is a good news for NRIs that they and their families cannot book under dowry- 498A

In February, 2008, the Indian government announced to provide legal aid to women who were deserted by NRIs. The government would provide US $1,000 to women, either deserted or divorced within two years of marriage. The legal assistance to get a maintenance allowance would also be provided to those who were being tortured by and deserted NRI husbands even after 10 years of marriage and had been given ex-party divorce provided the marriage was solemnized in India.

It is estimated that over 30,000 Indian women have been abandoned in "NRI marriages", and of these 15,000 are from the Doaba region of Punjab alone.

NRI Ashok Sharma from Toronto said, what about the young brides married NRIs only for their wealth , wanted to leave them and spend the rest of her life by bleeding them of alimony?.

 



 

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