The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted Mohammed Farmaan Khan, the husband of Kumbh Mela fame Monalisa Bhosle, interim protection from arrest for one month in a case registered in Madhya Pradesh on allegations that Bhosle was kidnapped and that the couple's marriage is invalid [Moh Farmaan & Anr. v. State of Kerala & Ors.].
Justice Kauser Edappagath said Khan should approach the jurisdictional court in Madhya Pradesh for anticipatory bail.
The Court ordered that he shall not be arrested during this one-month time frame, to enable him to file his plea before the Madhya Pradesh court.
Monalise Bhosle rose to fame after videos of her selling beads during the 2025 Kumbh Mela went viral on social media last year. She married Farmaan Khan earlier this year in Kerala.
Their interfaith marriage was widely publicised in the media. However, controversy arose after allegations surfaced that Bhosle was only 16 years old and had not attained the legal age for marriage when she married Farman on March 11 of this year.
Questions were raised regarding the legality of their marriage and whether charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) would be attracted.
Bhosle's father, meanwhile, lodged a kidnapping complaint with the police. Apprehending arrest in connection with this case, the couple eventually approached the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail. In their plea, they refuted allegations that Monalisa Bhosle was a minor.
Meanwhile, the State of Madhya Pradesh, represented by ASG Raju objected to the maintainability of the couple's plea. He argued that they should have approached a court in Madhya Pradesh for anticipatory bail since the FIR against Khan is lodged there.
The couple, on the other hand, argued that they had approached the court in Kerala because they apprehended threats if they sought relief in Madhya Pradesh.
The Court had reserved its verdict in the matter yesterday.
During the hearing, the Madhya Pradesh government had also told the Court that apart from kidnapping, the offence of forgery may also be added in the case registered against Khan. The State has suspected that forged and fabricated documents were secured to falsely claim that Bhosle was older than she actually is, ASG Raju explained. He maintained that Bhosle was born in December 2009, and not January 2008 as claimed by the couple.
Bhosle and Khan's counsel denied this, asserting that the State and fundamentalist groups were the ones making false claims about Bhosle's age since they were opposed to her interfaith marriage.
Monalisa Bhosle and Farmaan Khan were represented by advocates M Sasindran, Satheeshan Alakkadan and Mrinal Chand M.
Special Prosecutor V Sajith Kumar also represented the Madhya Pradesh government before the High Court.
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