Viral Kumbh Mela Star Approaches MP High Court Alleging Forged Birth Certificate Used To Criminalise Her Interfaith Marriage

The viral star from Kumbh Mela, Monalisa Bhosle, along with her husband, have approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court alleging that her birth certificate was forged to criminalise their interfaith marriage.

The couple has thus sought directions to restore her Birth Certificate and to conduct an independent investigation into forgery of government records. 

For context, Bhosle shot to nationwide fame during the Maha Kumbh celebrations last year, after videos of her selling rudraksha garlands at the mela circulated widely on social media.

She developed a relationship with her now husband Farmaan during a film shoot in Kerala and they got married in March 2026.

The controversy escalated later when the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) found that the girl was allegedly a minor, about 16 years old, at the time of the marriage, and that forged documents may have been used to facilitate the wedding. Following these findings, police in Madhya Pradesh registered a case against the husband under the POCSO Act.

The Kerala High Court, on April 20, 2026, had stayed the arrest of the petitioner and noted that the couple was residing as husband and wife.

Per the petition, Bhosle's father, who is opposed to their marriage, conspired to manipulate her birth records to portray her as a minor and criminalise their marriage by lodging a kidnapping FIR.

"...In furtherance of the said conspiracy, the birth records were manipulated by wrongful substitution of entries, and the date of birth of Petitioner No. 1 was falsely altered...The genuine Birth Certificate of Petitioner No. 1...was also unlawfully cancelled from the government portal without notice, without authority of law, and in complete disregard of settled procedure...The FIR is thus not a bona fide criminal complaint, but a counterblast to the lawful marriage of the Petitioners and a misuse of the criminal process to harass, intimidate and criminally prosecute the Petitioners on the basis of fabricated material," the plea states.

It adds that Bhosle's father and his co-conspirators even went to the extent of circulating inflammatory propaganda against her husband on social media, and attempted to communalize her lawful marriage by using provocative rhetoric of "Love Jihad."

"Such conduct is a direct assault on constitutional values, public order, and the Petitioners' fundamental rights to life, liberty, dignity and choice," it is contended.

Accordingly, Bhosle seeks a writ in the nature of Mandamus directing the appropriate authority to restore her Birth Certificate and to conduct an independent and fair investigation into the alleged criminal conspiracy, forgery of government records, submission of forged documents before the court and authorities, and communal incitement.

Case Title: Monalisa Bhosle v State of Madhya Pradesh