In Dolly Rani v. Manish Kumar Chanchal [2024] 5 S.C.R. 510 : 2024 INSC 355, the Supreme Court considered the issue that if the marriage ceremony had not been performed in accordance with section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, whether registration of such a marriage under section 8 of the 1955 Act would confer any legitimacy to it.
The Apex Court categorically ruled that for a valid marriage under the Act, the requisite ceremonies have to be performed and there must be proof of performance of the said ceremony when an issue/controversy arise – Unless the parties have undergone such ceremony, there would be no Hindu marriage according to Section 7 of the Act and a mere issuance of a certificate by an entity in the absence of the requisite ceremonies having been performed, would neither confirm any marital status to the parties nor establish a marriage under Hindu law.