NCST Probe: SC/ST act charges added in marriage of minor Kumbh Mela star

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the registration of a POCSO case, additional charges under the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will be filed regarding the marriage of the minor viral star from the Kumbh Mela. Prakash Uikey, Legal Advisor to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), confirmed via a Facebook post that those involved in forging the girl’s birth certificate will also be named as accused.

Uikey highlighted a potential conspiracy behind the incident, demanding an investigation into the role of the Kerala CPM leaders who facilitated the marriage. While the controversy has sparked nationwide debate, the CPM leadership involved in the ceremony has yet to issue an official response regarding the latest legal developments.

The NCST investigation revealed that a fraudulent birth certificate was used to authorize the union. Official hospital records from Madhya Pradesh confirm the girl’s date of birth as December 30, 2009, establishing her as a minor. Based on this evidence, a case was registered against Farman Khan under the POCSO Act. Consequently, the Commission has directed the DGPs of both Kerala and Madhya Pradesh to appear in Delhi to provide a formal briefing on the matter.

The marriage initially drew significant attention when senior CPM leaders—including State Secretary M.V. Govindan, Education Minister V. Sivankutty, and A.A. Rahim MP—attended the ceremony to offer their best wishes. At the time, the leaders lauded the union as "the real Kerala story," presenting it as a symbol of the state's secular fabric.