Mamata Government implements biometric verification for marriage registry to combat fake signatures

In a bid to tackle the rising instances of fraudulent marriage registrations, the Mamata Banerjee led government in West Bengal has introduced stringent measures regarding the marriage registry process. Effective from November 1, the new rules mandate the submission of biometric fingerprints during the application for marriage registry and at the time of the actual registry.

Couples are now required to provide biometric fingerprints during the application process, and at the time of the original registration, the biometric machine or thumb impression of three witnesses, apart from the couple, has become a mandatory procedure.

The move comes in response to the revelation of numerous cases where marriages were registered or conducted based on forged signatures of the bride and groom, leading to the issuance of fraudulent marriage certificates. Previously, the validation of marriage registry relied heavily on certificates, photographs, and provided information, making it challenging to address disputes or challenges in the future. The new biometric verification system aims to mitigate these risks by ensuring the authenticity of marriage records through state-controlled fingerprint databases.