Kochi: The High Court of Kerala has ordered the local registrar of Changanassery Municipality to register the marriage of a Malayali couple working as nurses in Israel.
High Court judge Justice N Nagaresh issued the order after considering the present COVID-19 pandemic situation and the couple’s circumstances.
The case was filed by Sebastian of Changanassery on behalf of his son Mohan Sebastian and daughter-in-law Sonia Raju. Sonia hails from Peroor in Kottayam.
The petition submitted that the current pandemic situation has been preventing Mohan and Sonia, married in January last year, from travelling to Kerala from Israel to register their marriage. The couple had left for Israel after their wedding, and a child was born to them in February this year.
The local authorities in Israel had refused to issue a birth certificate and passport to the child since the couple could not produce their marriage certificate. The couple’s application for the certificate in Changanassery had been rejected since they could not appear in person.
The couple said they could present themselves before the registrar over virtual space. The petitioner also pointed out the difficulties the newborn would face in future if the marriage is not registered.
An earlier High Court order, allowing another couple to register their marriage via video conferencing, was also mentioned in the petition.
