On October 31, Arun Kumar tied the knot with P Srija at a temple in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. But they were handed a huge shock as the temple management denied marriage receipt. The reason behind denial is that Srija is transwoman while Kumar is a cis man.
On May 2019, the couple eventually got their marriage registered at the district registrar office in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi, thereby, making it a first of its kind marriage, scripting history.
Kumar (22) and Srija (20) were forced to file a writ petition in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court (MHC) after the district registrar office refused to register their marriage.
On April 22, the Madurai bench ordered district registrar to register the marriage between the transgender woman and the Cisgender (Cis man). In its ruling, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court added that marriage solemnised between a man and a transwoman is completely valid and authorities should register it.
“Sometimes to see the obvious, one needs not only physical vision in the eye but also love in the heart,” Justice Swaminathan wrote in his 28-page order.
He stated that any marriage between a man and a transwoman both professing Hindu religion is considered a “valid marriage” and the Registrar of Marriage is also bound to register the same.
Two days ago, the happily-married couple was given a marriage certificate.