A taluka in Amreli district of Gujarat has brought to light astonishing marriage statistics that have raised eyebrows. Bagasara taluka, which is popular for imitation jewellery, has revealed a record number of marriages, if information provided by the government under RTI is anything to go by. 

According to information obtained by a resident under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the highest number of marriages were recorded during the quarantine Covid-19 years of 2020, 2021, and 2022. As many as 1,341 marriages were recorded in Hamapur, 944 in Jamka, 380 in Munjiyasar, and 258 in Lundhiya villages of Bagasara. 

An astonishing 2,950 registered marriages took place in these four villages of Bagasara. 

However, what’s baffling is that the number  of these marriages is twice the total number of families residing in these villages, and people from all 33 districts of Gujarat specifically came here to register their marriages.

These four villages collectively have 1,613 families and a total population of 8,223. The applicant also asked whether any mass marriage events had taken place during this period, to which the response was ‘no’. 

Despite the fact that these villages lack hotels, destination wedding venues, or other necessary facilities, the registration of such a large number of marriages raises serious questions.

Suspicion of fraud involving local officials

Preliminary investigations suggest that people might have collaborated with village talatis (local revenue officers) to register marriages. Many individuals register marriages for purposes like obtaining passports and fulfilling other legal requirements, and since talatis can easily facilitate the registration process, it is likely that these villages saw the highest number of registered marriages during this period. The marriage registration process also requires the involvement of lawyers, witnesses, and other legal formalities.

The mystery deepens as questions arise about how such arrangements were made during the Covid-19 lockdown and how people from all over Gujarat travelled to these villages despite restrictions on movement. The RTI applicant suspects that a well-planned scam was carried out by local talatis. Since no appropriate action has been taken against these talatis at the taluka level, a formal complaint has now been filed with the Inspector General of Registration, Gandhinagar.