The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered notice to leading matrimonial sites in a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to regulate such sites, in the wake of a matrimonial fraud reported in Tiruchi.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and B. Pugalendhi ordered notice and adjourned hearing in the case. The court had earlier directed that at least 10 leading matrimonial sites be impleaded as respondents.
The HC Bench was hearing the PIL petition filed by advocate T. Jayanthi Rani, Managing Trustee, Parents Trust, that sought a direction to regulate matrimonial sites. Pointing to a particular case reported in Tiruchi, she said that a medical practitioner was cheated on the pretext of marriage.
The medical practitioner, a widow and mother of a girl, had uploaded her profile on a matrimonial site on the advice of her friends and relatives. Showing interest in her profile, a man named Ajay, claiming to be a doctor and a widower, approached the woman.
He gained her confidence and developed a relationship with her. However, after exploiting her sexually and financially, he stopped contacting her. Realising that she was cheated by the man, the woman sought the help of Parents Trust, following which a complaint was registered with the Tiruchi police.
The petitioner said that in the wake of such incidents, there was a need to control and monitor matrimonial sites. Suitable guidelines should be framed to include a verification and identification mechanism, she said.
As per directions of the High Court, the Tiruchi Superintendent of Police filed a status report in the case. The police have secured Ajay and he has been booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code.