Mumbai: As Valentine's Day approaches, touts gear up to get couples hitched

With Valentines Day approaching and the city recovering from the travails of the COVID19caused lockdown many couples from have been aiming to tie the knot on February 14 With lovebirds making a beeline for the marriage registration office touts have been using the rush to their advantage offering home visits by the marriage officer for Rs 35000 on the coveted date which happens to be a Sunday and amid COVID19 protocols that have prohibited home visits An investigation by midday has revealed that a number of touts rule the roost at the office of the subregistrar for marriage at the Khar Telephone Exchange building in Khar WestThey approach couples waiting in serpentine queues that go down the staircases to the lobby of the marriage registration officeMarriage Officer Sharayu Vivek Sawant inside her officeThroughout the last week middays undercover reporters observed the operations at the Khar premises Couples who visit the enquiry counter asking for Sunday February 14 as the date for registration of marriage are met by rejection as officials say that registration on a Sunday is not possible Turned away the couples are then approached by the touts who offer to get them the desired dates for extra chargesSome visitors who requested the dates February 15 or 16 were told booking full aahe and were approached by touts standing next to the enquiry counterHemant More circled in a group picture inside the subregistrars officeWe can arrange home visits by a marriage officer on Valentines Day if you want touts tell visitors They take different fees from different people based on their appearances and body languageTo get the marriage registered at the office they charge between R3500 and R6000 While home visits by marriage officers have been suspended amid COVID19 the touts offer those for R35000 plus a pickup and drop facilityAgent Hemant MoreMarriage Officer Sharayu Vivek Sawant however denied the presence of toutsmidday witnessed a few touts working on their laptops connected to a charging point in the waiting hall The official government fee for marriage registration is Rs 150The Telephone Exchange Building in Khar that the marriage registration office operates out ofThe operations appear to take place right under the nose of Sawant who reports to Joint District Registrar Narayan Rajput whose office is located in Bandra Kurla Complex BKCHow to get marriedCouples need to get themselves registered online a month in advance to get a marriage date after submitting relevant documents On the appointed day Sawant registers their marriage in the presence of three witnesses and a marriage certificate is issuedThe marriage registration office right The waiting room at the marriage registration officePeople residing between Dahisar and Bandra and Mulund and Kurla can get themselves registered at the Khar officeTouts paste their mobile numbers on the walls of the waiting hall Though the advertisements have been removed now midday has a photograph of one such advertisement bearing a tout Hemant Mores name pasted on a piece of furnitureSources at the marriage office told midday that More is one of the oldest touts and every single official knows him On his Facebook profile More claims to be working at the office of the Marriage Registrar Khar west He has also shared his websites address mdashwwwmarriageregistrationmumbaicommdash on his social media The website shows his office address as Khar Telephone exchange which is the official address of the state governments Marriage Officer According to sources in the registrars office More has been working in coordination with several government officials for several years and has many accomplicesmiddays probe on spotDuring the visits to the marriage registrars office middays reporter saw More working on his laptop in the waiting hall and approached himMore Kay pahije lagna karaycha aahe kamidday I need to enquire about marriage registrationMore Okmidday Will it be possible to get a marriage date on Valentines Day that is February 14More It is a Sundaymidday Will it be possible to arrange a home visit of the officer Sharayu Sawant on February 14 for my marriage The venue is in BorivliMore Ok but you need to pay R35000 two days in advancemidday It is too much for me kuch kam karo naMore We recently got many celebrities and their relatives married at their venue This is the normal charge for home visit The marriage officer will hand over the certificate immediately after the functionmidday How will you all come to the marriage hallMore You need to arrange a pickup and drop facility for madam Sawant And if there is traffic she can reach Borivli station by train and your relativefriend will have to pick her up from the station But dropping her at home is essential It is a fixed amount There is no room for bargaining because our work will be done smoothly on Valentines DayMore For option of marrying in Khar You need to pay R10000 for this marriage at Ram Mandir Khar East on February 14 But the marriage certificate will be given after a couple of weeks Two days before the marriage you need to submit your documents and fees to meNo touts in our officeWhen contacted Sawant said There is no tout at the office I have been checking regularlyI have not seen anyone working on the computer or laptop There is no tout at all Some visitors might have been operating the laptops in the waiting hall There is no tout at all Sawant saidShe further claimed I often visit the waiting hall and if a visitor is found working on their laptop I request them to shut it down But they often insist on completing their important work How can there be My office is next doorThe marriage registration fee is only Rs 150 If anyone tries to fleece couples at the office they can approach me In my office only the bride groom and three witnesses are allowed to enter said Sawant She added that she does not visit venues to register marriagesThe Joint District Registrar Narayan Rajput said I am unaware of this One can apply for a home visit by the marriage officer after paying a fee of around R300 but this facility has been suspended due to COVID19If people are assuring you of home visits at or charging extra people need to file a complaint or approach me directly I will check if touts are operating from our Khar office Rajput saidRs 300Govt fees for home visits during normal timesConversations with other toutsAgent Anil Singh Agent Mahesh and Agent Jitendra Bhagatmidday also spoke to three other touts mdash Jitendra Bhagat Anil Singh and Mahesh Following are the conversions with themmidday I need to get married on Valentines Day and need a certificate on the same dayBhagat The office will be shut on Valentines Day because it is Sundaymidday Can you arrange a visit by the marriage officer at my venue in BorivliBhagat Yes but it will cost you between Rs 20000 and Rs 25000midday But Rs 2 5000 is a huge amount We want to marry outside say on February 12 and then visit your office for the certificate with a February 14 date Would that workBhagat Yes but if you are getting married outside please dont wear mangalsutra sindoor or maang tikka Also dont reveal it to anyone in the registrar office that you are married Our consultation fee will be Rs 4500 for getting you married at the office And the marriage certificate will cost Rs 1500Anil Singh demanded Rs 6000 to get married at the office and asked for an advanceSingh You need to pay half the amount Rs 3000 in advance at the time of online registration and the remaining would be taken immediately after the marriagemidday Can you assure that I wont be cheatedSingh Yes yes I will scan your marriage certificate and get it printed here Everything will be ready within 15 minutesAgent Mahesh said no dates are available before February 17Mahesh Get married in a hall and get yourself registered at a BMC office All the dates before February 17 are booked February 14 is a Sunday and February 15 and 16 are completely fullmidday How much I will have to pay for February 17 or 18Mahesh Rs 3500midday Could you please make arrangements for February 15Mahesh You will have to pay Rs 6000