The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted transit anticipatory bail to Mohammed Farmaan Khan, the husband of Kumbh Mela fame Monalisa Bhosle, in connection with a criminal case registered against him in Madhya Pradesh, alleging kidnapping and questioning the validity of their marriage.
The single-judge Bench of Justice Kauser Edappagath granted Khan interim protection from arrest for a period of one month to enable him to approach the competent court in Madhya Pradesh and seek regular anticipatory bail in accordance with law. The Court directed that no coercive action or arrest be effected against him during this period.
The case arose out of allegations concerning the marriage between Khan and Bhosle, who came into the public spotlight after videos of her selling beads during the 2025 Kumbh Mela went viral on social media. The couple entered into an interfaith marriage in Kerala earlier this year.
Subsequently, controversy emerged following allegations that Bhosle had not attained the legally prescribed age for marriage at the time of her wedding, held on March 11, 2026. Questions were raised regarding the legality of the marriage and the possible applicability of provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other penal statutes.
Amid the controversy, Bhosle’s father lodged a complaint alleging that his daughter had been kidnapped. Apprehending arrest in connection with the First Information Report (FIR) registered in Madhya Pradesh, the couple approached the Kerala High Court seeking pre-arrest protection.
In their plea, Khan and Bhosle denied the allegations and contended that she was not a minor at the time of marriage. They maintained that the claims regarding her age were incorrect and that the marriage was legally valid.
The State of Madhya Pradesh opposed the maintainability of the petition. Appearing for the State, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju argued that since the FIR had been registered in Madhya Pradesh, the petitioners ought to seek anticipatory bail from the jurisdictional court in that State rather than invoke the jurisdiction of the Kerala High Court.
The petitioners, however, contended that they had approached the Kerala High Court because they apprehended threats and adverse circumstances if they sought relief in Madhya Pradesh.
During the hearing, the Madhya Pradesh government informed the Court that, apart from the kidnapping allegations, offences relating to forgery could also be added to the investigation. The State alleged that forged and fabricated documents may have been procured to falsely establish that Bhosle was older than her actual age. According to the State, Bhosle was born in December 2009, and not in January 2008 as claimed by the couple.
The petitioners strongly disputed these allegations and asserted that false claims regarding Bhosle’s age were being advanced by the authorities and certain groups opposed to their interfaith marriage.
After considering the rival submissions, the High Court granted Khan limited transit anticipatory bail and directed him to approach the appropriate court in Madhya Pradesh within one month for regular anticipatory bail. The order effectively protects him from arrest during the intervening period while preserving the jurisdiction of the Madhya Pradesh courts to adjudicate the merits of his bail plea.
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