Monalisa Bhosle underage, says MP police; POCSO case filed against husband Farman Khan

In a significant turn of events, Madhya Pradesh police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against Farmaan Khan, the husband of Kumbh Mela fame Monalisa Bhosle, after finding that she was allegedly a minor at the time of their marriage.

According to the police, Monalisa was only 16 years old when she married Khan, contradicting earlier claims that she was 18. The case was registered at Maheshwar police station in Khargone district following findings by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), which confirmed her age during its inquiry.

The NCST has issued summons to the Directors General of Police of both Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, directing them to appear before the Commission in New Delhi on April 22 to explain the circumstances surrounding the case.

The development comes weeks after the couple drew national attention for their wedding at Aruvamoodu Temple in Kerala on March 11, 2026. The two, who had reportedly known each other for six months, chose Kerala as their wedding destination.

At the time, the Kerala unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had filed a complaint with the state police chief, alleging that Monalisa was underage. The complaint cited evidence suggesting that she was born on January 21, 2009.

However, documents submitted on Kerala’s smart governance platform K-SMART (Kerala Solution for Managing Administrative Reformation and Transformation) indicated a different date of birth. A birth certificate issued by the Nagar Panchayat in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, recorded her date of birth as January 1, 2008. These records were reportedly cross-verified on the portal, and officials involved in the process said the couple obtained their marriage certificate within 30 minutes.

The Kerala High Court had on March 23, 2026 granted the couple temporary protection from arrest after they approached the court. This followed a complaint by Monalisa’s father in Madhya Pradesh, accusing Khan of abducting her.

Monalisa first came into the public spotlight during the Maha Kumbh Mela, where videos of her selling garlands and bangles went viral, drawing attention to her distinctive amber-coloured eyes.

Prior to the marriage, Monalisa had approached the police in Thiruvananthapuram along with Khan, alleging that her father, Vijay Singh Bhosle, was pressuring her to marry a man of his choice. At the time, Kerala police stated that she was an adult and therefore free to decide whom she wanted to marry. No case was registered then, as there were no allegations of physical abuse.

Her family had objected to the relationship and maintained that she was underage. However, initial verification by the police reportedly concluded that she was 18, allowing the couple to proceed with the wedding.