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The Allahabad High Court has set stricter guidelines for marriage registration authorities in Uttar Pradesh following the registration of a marriage involving a minor. Justice Tej Pratap Tiwari expressed concern over the repeated instances of minors being registered as married without proper age verification. The court emphasized that if a marriage registration officer fails to verify the date of birth and registers a marriage of a minor, it is not a simple clerical error but a failure to discharge their responsibilities, warranting supervision and accountability.

The court mandated that marriage registration authorities shall not register any marriage if either party was a minor at the time of the solemnization. They must verify the age of both parties using reliable documentary evidence before proceeding with any registration. If the documents reveal that either party is below the statutory age, the registration application must not be processed as a routine matter.

Instead, the case must be brought to the attention of the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer and the competent District Authority for appropriate action.

Uttar Pradesh has been directed to incorporate an online flagging mechanism in the marriage registration system, ensuring no registration takes place without completing the age verification process. The Principal Secretary of the Stamp and Registration Department is tasked with issuing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to all marriage registration authorities, ensuring strict compliance with these guidelines.