The Bombay High Court at Aurangabad made an important decision on November 27, 2025, about a complicated case involving an alleged forced marriage and related issues. The court decided not to allow another investigation into the case, which many people have been following closely.
On February 25, 2021, Aarti Patel went to the Shrirampur police station and said she was forced to marry Rushab Vikas Lalwani, who she said had a speech problem. She also claimed her husband's family harassed her and that her cousin's father-in-law, Paras Lalwani, made inappropriate advances. The case was registered as Crime No. 68 of 2021 at Jamner police station.
Earlier, on February 11, 2021, Bhavna Vikas Lalwani filed a complaint against Aarti Patel and others, accusing them of lying and stealing related to the marriage, which was registered as Crime No. 41 of 2021.
Judge Shailesh P. Brahme decided not to reopen the case, saying there wasn't enough new evidence to do so. The court pointed out the importance of Aarti Patel's birth certificate from the Shrirampur Municipal Council, which was used to confirm her age and contradicted her claim of being underage.
"The birth certificate issued by the local body cannot be ignored because of the later report of an ossification test."
The case was more complicated because of different records showing Aarti Patel's age, with different birth dates from school records and municipal documents. The ossification test suggested she was between 14 and 17 years old, but the birth certificate said she was born on June 1, 2002.
The court noticed possible manipulation and dishonesty, suggesting that the accusations might have been influenced by politics. The judge pointed out the questionable actions of Aarti Patel and her mother, who allegedly misled authorities about her age.
Senior Lawyer Mr. Deshpande, who represented Aarti Patel, argued for another investigation, saying the first one wasn't done well. However, the court disagreed, emphasizing the reliability of the municipal birth certificate over other documents.
The court ultimately decided not to allow another investigation and upheld the original findings. This decision shows how complex legal cases can be, especially when they involve personal relationships and accusations, highlighting the need for reliable evidence and careful investigation.
"Disclaimer: The names used in this report are fictitious and have been added for privacy reasons."
