BHOPAL: Monalisa, the viral blue-eyed bead seller who became an overnight internet sensation during the 2025 Prayag Mahakumbh, is now at the centre of a legal controversy following her marriage to Farmaan Khan at a temple in Kerala in March 2026.
Khan, a native of Baghpat district in western Uttar Pradesh, has been booked for abduction under Section 137(2) of the BNS on a complaint filed by the teenager’s father, Jaisingh Bhosale, at Maheshwar police station in Khargone district of southwestern Madhya Pradesh.
Separately, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) conducted a detailed probe following a March 17 complaint by a Uttar Pradesh-based social activist.
The complaint alleged enticement, fraudulent inducement into an inter-religious marriage, and violation of the minor’s rights. The probe covered both Madhya Pradesh, the girl’s home state, and Kerala, where the marriage took place.
The inquiry, conducted under the supervision of Antar Singh Arya, concluded that Monalisa was 16 years, 2 months and 12 days old on the day of the marriage, establishing that she was a minor at the time.
According to the findings, the temple authorities in Kerala relied on Aadhaar details and a purportedly fake birth certificate submitted by the couple, instead of verifying original hospital records or the authentic birth certificate indicating her birth in 2009.
The Commission also recorded the statement of the girl’s father, who said he belongs to the Pardhi community, originally from Maharashtra, where the group is classified under the Scheduled Tribes category. He has stated that he will obtain and submit the necessary caste certificate to the police.
Based on its findings, the NCST recommended adding multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to kidnapping for marriage, fraudulent marriage, and rape, as well as provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
It also suggested invoking sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, in the FIR registered at Maheshwar police station.
A senior Madhya Pradesh police officer said that, so far, the FIR registered on March 25, 2026 names Farmaan Khan only under Section 137(2) of the BNS related to kidnapping. He added that further charges may be incorporated as the investigation progresses and once the girl is traced.