As the NCST begins its hearing in the sensational ‘Kumbh Mela viral girl’ case, the parents of Monalisa Bhosle and Nagpur-based activist-advocate Pratham Dubey are preparing to demand a POCSO FIR against Kerala’s left-wing leaders for their involvement in her marriage to adult Farman Khan.
Apart from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) stepped in after finding that Kumbh viral girl, from the Pardhi tribal community, was a minor (around 16 years and 2 months old) at the time of the wedding on March 11, 2026.
As the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) intensifies its probe, it has summoned the Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of both Kerala and Madhya Pradesh for further inquiry. The commission has directed the two DGPs to submit a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) at the earliest. The NCST is expected to decide its next course of action after reviewing the reports and hearing the senior police officials.
Kerala Minister Sivankutty, Rahim to Be Booked Under POCSO Soon?
Speaking to Organiser, complainant and social activist Pratham Dubey said that the left-wing leaders who facilitated and participated in the marriage of the minor girl to an adult without verifying the authenticity of her age and birth certificate should be held equally responsible and charged alongside Farman Khan for conspiring to solemnise the illegal marriage. He added that he will demand a POCSO case be registered against Kerala’s senior CPM leaders like CPM state secretary M V Govindan, Minister V Sivankutty and A A Rahim MP for facilitating the marriage.
Just a month after 16-year-old, who went viral at the 2025 Mahakumbh Mela for selling Rudraksha malas, married Farmaan Khan in Poovar, Thiruvananthapuram, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has declared the wedding illegal, stating that she was still a minor. Madhya Pradesh Police has registered a case against Farman for abducting the minor. A POCSO case will also be registered against Farman soon.
The case has taken a more serious turn due to the direct involvement of elected representatives, including a Rajya Sabha MP AA Rahim, Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty and the ruling party Secretary MV Govindan. Many have accused them of deliberately flouting the law for political publicity, using the interfaith marriage to project a counter-narrative to “Love Jihad” and push the “Real Kerala Story” narrative.
It also has to be noted that out that the CPM’s prominent role in the event has been strategically timed to woo support from SDPI and other Islamist outfits in the run-up to the 2026 Kerala Assembly polls. Reports suggest Farman Khan himself has connections with SDPI and radical elements.
Farman Blackmails Minor Girl with Obscene Videos, Forces Her to Defame Family Online
The parents of Monalisa Bhosle have made serious allegations before the NCST, claiming that Farman Khan is actively threatening and blackmailing their minor daughter. They allege that he has created obscene videos of the girl and is coercing her into posting misleading statements and messages on social media platforms aimed at defaming her own family.
According to the parents, Farman is using these videos as a tool to silence Monalisa and turn her against them, even as the legal battle over her abduction and illegal marriage continues.
Ignorance of Law- Govindan Clings to Aadhaar Card to Defend Minor’s Marriage
CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan continues to defend his participation in the wedding, insisting that the marriage of Monalisa Bhosle to adult Farmaan Khan was conducted only after proper verification of her Aadhaar and PAN cards, which he claims established her as an adult.
However, Govindan appears to be ignoring a key legal position: under Indian law, Aadhaar and PAN cards are not considered conclusive proof of age. Courts and authorities give primacy to the birth certificate, which in this case has been cancelled by the Madhya Pradesh government after it was declared fraudulent.
The state has reaffirmed that Monalisa was a minor at the time of the marriage. Adding to the seriousness of the matter, the girl’s parents have alleged that Farman Khan has been threatening their minor daughter with obscene videos.
CPI(M) leaders appear to be scrambling to save face after the NCST’s damning findings. Instead of accepting responsibility for facilitating the illegal marriage of a minor girl, senior party functionaries, including Govindan, are doubling down on their defence. His desperate attempt to shield the party from embarrassment and legal scrutiny only exposes the depths to which the CPM is willing to go to protect its political narrative at the cost of a child’s safety and the rule of law.
Helpless Parents Watch as CPI(M) Leaders Marry Off Their 16-Year-Old Daughter to an Adult Muslim
CPI(M) leaders may now attempt to defend themselves by claiming they participated in the marriage only because they were shown a birth certificate stating that Monalisa was 18 years old at the time. However, as a senior minister, a Rajya Sabha MP, and the ruling party’s state secretary, they conveniently ignored the repeated pleas and claims made by the minor girl’s father regarding her actual age.
The bigger question that arises is whether these left leaders would officiate or endorse marriages of individuals who present fake or dubious documents — be it a birth certificate, Aadhaar card, or PAN card. Holding high constitutional and party positions, do they bear no responsibility to verify facts, especially when a child’s life and safety are at stake? Heartbreakingly, the Kumbh viral girl’s father could only watch helplessly as these public representatives facilitated the marriage of his minor daughter to an adult man.
