Supreme Court agreed to hear the petition regarding Anand Marriage Act
New Delhi, March 1 (Punjab Mail)- The Supreme Court has agreed to list a public interest petition seeking directions for making rules for the registration of Sikh marriages under the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 in the states and Union Territories. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said, “Yes, we will list it,” on the petitioner’s counsel’s request that the case be listed for hearing. Referring to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, the petitioner’s counsel told the bench, “This Act pertains to a century-old law.” In November last year, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Centre, States and Union Territories on a petition filed by lawyer Amanjot Singh Chadha. The Act of 1909 was enacted to give legal sanction to the pleasure act and remove any doubts about its validity. The Act was amended in 2012 to meet the demand for Sikhs to register their marriages under the Anand Marriage Act. The petitioner argued that under the 2012 amendment, state governments should have made rules to facilitate registration of Sikh marriages, which had earlier approached the Uttarakhand High Court on the issue. They alleged that the state governments and authorities are violating the fundamental rights of citizens under Articles 14, 19, 21, 25, 26 and 29 of the Constitution as they have failed to frame and notify mandatory rules under the Anand Marriage Act, 1909. . The High Court disposed of the petition by directing the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand to place the above proposal before the Cabinet and after its approval take steps to publish it in the Gazette. However, the petitioner alleged that the state government has not implemented the High Court order.