Dear Mr.Jamai of Law,
I am not on the correctness or otherwise of the decision - that will get finalised if the aggrieved party prefers appeal.
But, I am referring to your following statements:
"Saat fere is a mere technicality........Even one fere may not be necessary.......
Is there any standardisation as to how to perform rituals? The video clip clearly shows that this guy had a wedding ceremony in the presence of priest, fire. kanyadan was performed and that guy also enjoyed the 'var-bhojan', maang mein sindur bhara hai.
Who empowered the ld. judge to 'in-validate' sufficiency of hindu ritual??
Who wud question a couple if couple takes all the oaths in one phera only'? This is a mere technicality."
Your above contention is completely erroneous would have become clear to you, if only you had read Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act 1955, which reads as under:
"7. Ceremonies for a Hindu marriage.- (1) A Hindu marriage may be solemnized in accordance with the customary rites and ceremonies of either party thereto.
(2) Where such rites and ceremonies include the Saptapadi (that is, the taking of seven steps by the bridegroom and the bride jointly before the sacred fire), the marriage becomes complete and binding when the seventh step is taken."
Thus your contention that taking Sapatpadi is a mere Technicality is not borne out by the provisions contained in the law.
The Section 7 empowers the Judge to annul a marriage, if in his considered view after valuating the evidence produced before him, he comes to the conclusion that the ceremony has not been completed.
Just because in some cases all the 7 steps are not followed, or in one step itself all the mantras were told etc., will be of no effect so long as there is no trouble i.e. no one challenges the validity of the marriage. However, if anyone questions, then the law will take the center stage - and not my opinion or your opinion.
Let me give a small example. We witness day in and day out that many persons cross the red-light and never get punished. But, if on some day, some traffic police man stops us for crossing the red light and challans, we cannot say that yesterday also I crossed the redlight and I was not stopped, now who are you to stop?