Monalisa Bhosle Age Verdict: High Court Quashes Order Declaring Kumbh Girl Minor

The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has quashed a municipal order that unilaterally altered the birth date of Mahakumbh viral sensation Monalisa Bhosle to label her a minor, ruling that fundamental rights cannot be stripped without a fair hearing.

Justice Gajendra Singh set aside the 31 March directive issued by the Chief Municipal Officer of Maheshwar, which shifted Bhosle's registered date of birth from 1 January 2008 to 30 December 2009. The arbitrary revision had reduced her official age from 18 to 16 years at the time of her marriage in March, overnight turning her into a minor under Indian law and exposing her husband to criminal charges.

High Court Rebukes Municipal Body And Father

Taking a stern view of the local administration's action, Justice Singh slammed the conduct of Bhosle's father, observing that he moved heaven and earth to alter municipal records only after his daughter married a partner of her choice. The court highlighted that shifting a citizen's age back by two years extends far beyond editing a register entry.

Justice Singh noted that such administrative actions directly jeopardize a citizen's fundamental rights, including voting rights, contractual capacity, financial independence, and the freedom to choose a life partner, while unfairly threatening her spouse with severe criminal prosecution.

Legal Battle Over Aadhaar And Hospital Records

Senior advocate Vivek Tankha and advocate Jerry Lopez, representing Bhosle and her husband, argued that all primary identity documents including her Aadhaar card issued in May 2015, PAN card, voter ID, and a birth certificate issued in May 2025 based on her mother's affidavit consistently recorded her date of birth as 1 January 2008.

Conversely, state counsel and Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju contended that older hospital register entries submitted by her father pointed to 30 December 2009. Bhosle and her husband alleged that her father manipulated the records of her younger sibling out of anger over her interfaith marriage to Farman Khan.

Fresh Hearing Ordered With Principles Of Natural Justice

The High Court directed the Maheshwar municipal authorities to reconsider the father's application fresh, mandating that Bhosle be given a full opportunity to present her case in compliance with principles of natural justice.

Bhosle gained overnight fame during the 2025 Prayagraj Mahakumbh when videos of her selling garlands went viral across social media platforms, leading to film offers and public recognition before her marriage in Kerala sparked a cross-state legal dispute. The High Court clarified that while the municipal order stands nullified, the ruling does not directly adjudicate on the validity of the marriage or the ongoing criminal proceedings against her husband.