Sanjay, Manyata withdraw marriage declaration

South Goa's Salcette Sub Registrar's office said that both have filed a joint declaration stating that they do not desire to solemnise their marriage under the Portuguese Civil Code, 1867.

The duo in their affidavit has said that they have been informed that marriage in Goa is governed by the Portuguese Civil Code, 1867. Both have declared that they intended to get married as per the Special Marriage Act, 1954.

"We are now informed that this Act is not extended to the state of Goa," the declaration reads.

With a desire to revoke and withdraw their declaration of marriage, the duo has said the documents annexed therewith be treated as withdrawn and cancelled from all legal effect.

Sanjay Dutt and Manyata had filed a declaration before Salcette Sub Registrar Chandrakant Pissurlekar on February 7.

The declaration, which was marred with controversy and allegation of forgery, was supposed to be confirmed within 90 days.

The authorities, who prima facie found that the Goa residence certificate given by Manyata was questionable, had kept the marriage registration on hold after suspending the certificate.

Officers set aside rules

Even as Sanjay Dutt and his wife Manyata are seeking withdrawal of their marriage registration in Goa, the state authorities are probing how a senior officer accepted the annexed documents that were ‘full of flaws’.

In a major lapse, the investigations into Sanjay Dutt and Manyata's documents have revealed that neither Dutt nor Manyata had filed their divorce decree which is mandatory before accepting the declaration of marriage under Portuguese laws in Goa before Sub-Registrar C Pissurlekar.

Dutt had attached a 'Rojnama' (court noting) from the court of Principal Judge, Family Court, Mumbai at Bandra which had sought to curtail the waiting period of six months before the marriage was declared legal.

Sources said that Principal judge A V Nigude signed the Rojnama in Sanjay Dutt and Rhea Dutt divorce petition on February 6, a day before Sanjay and Manyata filed their marriage declaration in Goa.

"It was an order to get divorce decree. The actual decree should have been attached by Dutt with the documents while filing declaration to get married to Manyata," state law department official said.

District Registrar P S Borco, who is the investigating officer in the case, in his report to the law department, has said that the Rojnama submitted by Dutt does not carry signature of the judge and is not attested by the gazetted officer.