Mumbai: They say marriages are made in heaven. But this one seems to have ciome with a bonus. And it is still remains a matter speculation as to who is luckier. The bridegroom who gets two wives in one wedding. Or the identical twin sisters who get to share a dream husband and never ever have to part ways from each other in the perfect sort of ‘package deal’.
A bridegroom from Andheri recently wed 36-year- old identical twin sisters Pinky and Rinky Padgaonkar. The marriage took place in Solapur, but the twins are from Kandivali a report in The Free Press Journal, says.
Atul Uttam Awatde, a Mhalung native from Solapur district who runs a travel agency, married the sisters at Hotel Galande in Solapur in the presence of the families of both the bride and the groom.
They eventually got married on December 2 in a unique ceremony that was attended by about 300 guests from both the families at the Galande Hotel near Akluj.
As they had lived together in the same home since they were young, the sisters reportedly made the decision to wed Atul.The family of the sisters got in touch with the bridegroom.
The wedding was not held in secret. Both the sisters seemed to be happy with the arrangement and could be seen taking turns to garland the groom as part of the nuptials. Crowds present at the wedding, including friends and relatives were seen cheering the trio on.
The twins sisters, are residents of Chandivali West, Mumbai. The duo decided to marry Autade, a resident of Mhalung, as they did not want to separate from each other. They married Autade during the same ceremony. The bridegroom first wed Rinky and then Pinky.
The police are investigating this matter. They ave initiated an investigation based on the complaint lodged in this regard by Rahul Phule, a social worker of Malewadi in Solapur district.
Arun Sugaokar, the officer in charge of the Akluj police station, said that a non-cognizable offence had been registered under section 494 of the Indian Penal Code which penalises remarriage during lifetime of husband or wife after a local resident named Rahul Bharat approached the cops
Chairperson of Maharashtra State Women’s Commission Rupali Chakankar, tweeted and ordered the Solapur police to investigate the matter and submit a report.
Is Autade’s marriage legal?
According to the Hindu Marriage Act, polygamy is prohibited, meaning that such a marriage is for all legal purposes null and void.
Polygamy became illegal in India in 1956, uniformly for all of its citizens except Muslims, who are permitted to have four wives.
Interestingly, Hindus in Goa and along the western coast are allowed more than one wife since bigamy is legal for them. Several Adivasi communities continue to practice polygamy.
Legally the second wife of a Hindu male would be regarded as a mistress, although religiously and socially she may be considered a wife. Polygamy among Hindus is sometimes accepted in some rural areas, often with approval by earlier wives.
The 2005-06 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) found that 2 percent of women reported that their husband had other wives besides themselves.
In the case of the Patgaonkar wedding, lawyers state that the complaint has to come from the first wife.
In this case, both wives seem to have given consent to the wedding. To certify whether the wedding is legitimate, authorities would have to ascertain that all rules and rituals were followed.
The Padgaonkar sisters’ wedding wish to marry the same bridegroom is not altogether unusual. This is not the first time that twins or triplets have sought to marry twins, or even the same person.
In May, News24.com reported about twin sisters from Johannesburg who were in search of the perfect man to marry. Earlier in March, a Congolese man, identified as Luwizo had gone viral on social media after he married three sisters together on the same day.
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