Staff Reporter
Margao
The South Goa Advocates Association, led by its president advocate Prasad Naik and advocate Narendra Sawaikar, has urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to investigate the alleged use of forged documents in marriage registrations at the Sub-Registrar Office
in Margao.
In a petition submitted to the chief minister, the advocates alleged that fraudulent residence certificates are being used to register marriages, compromising the integrity of the process. They said that such documents are often issued by agents or touts who sometimes falsely represent themselves as advocates, tarnishing the reputation of the legal fraternity.
The petition further highlighted concerns that forged or modified documents are being submitted to various government departments for services such as residence certificates, marriage registrations, name changes, and sale deeds. The advocates warned that if left unchecked, the credibility of the system would be severely eroded.
“To prevent fraud, the government needs to establish an electronic document submission system with a verification mechanism to detect forged documents at the time of processing applications,”
Naik said.
Sawaikar recommended that photographs of both applicants be affixed to the final marriage registration certificate to establish their identity. Naik said that the Chief Minister assured them that he would direct the State Registrar to “look into the matter.”
