The Bombay High Court recently ruled that Muslim men are permitted to register multiple marriages, in alignment with their personal laws, which allow up to four wives at once. The decision came in response to an application from a Muslim man who attempted to register his third marriage to an Algerian woman in February 2023. The registration had initially been denied under the Maharashtra Regulation of Marriage Bureaus and Registration of Marriages Act, which authorities argued only permits one marriage registration.
The court clarified that there was no indication in this Act to restrict Muslim personal laws, which allow multiple marriages, stating, “We are unable to accept the submission of the authorities that, under the provisions of the Act, only one marriage can be registered, even in the case of a Muslim male.”
The High Court also noted that the Thane Municipal Corporation had previously registered the man’s second marriage. The court directed the couple to submit necessary documents within two weeks, after which the municipal body has 10 days to issue a marriage certificate or deny it following a hearing. Until a decision is reached, no coercive action is to be taken against the petitioner’s wife, whose passport expired in May.
