Mahakumbh fame Monalisa Bhonsle gets relief as HC sets aside birth certificate correction order

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has overturned an order that canceled Monalisa Bhonsle's birth certificate, allowing her to participate in the 2025 Prayagraj Mahakumbh. The cancellation had made her a minor at the time of her inter-faith marriage in March 2026, leading to criminal cases being filed against her husband. Justice Gajendra Singh stated that any action prejudicial to a citizen without affording them an opportunity to be heard would be unfair and arbitrary.

The Indore bench held that the Chief Municipal Officer's order must be set aside and directed the officer to reconsider the father's application, ensuring he receives an effective hearing. Monalisa's birth was initially registered on January 1, 2008, but her father later claimed she was born on December 30, 2009, at the local Community Health Centre.

The hospital certificate led to the municipal registrar canceling the 2025 entry and recording the new date. However, the court noted that no school records were available to resolve the dispute over her actual date of birth. Monalisa's father argued that the Madhya Pradesh Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2024, required only the person who provided the birth information to be notified, which the court rejected, emphasizing that "audi alteram partem" must be satisfied.