Kochi: A team of Madhya Pradesh police have reached Kochi in connection with the probe into the controversial marriage of the ‘viral Kumbh Mela girl’ Monalisa and Farmaan Khan.

Following this, the couple had reportedly approached the Kerala Police seeking protection based on the report that the MP cops had arrived in Kochi to track her and her husband. Sources said that the girl submitted a formal complaint to the Kochi City Police Commissioner to prevent being forcibly taken back to her home state.

Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar confirmed the arrival of the MP police team and stated that local authorities have already served them with the High Court order staying the arrest of Farmaan until May 20.

“When Madhya Pradesh police approached us, we told them about the High Court order restraining the arrest and handed over a copy of the order,” Kumar told the media.

However, the commissioner declined to comment on the specific purpose of the MP team's visit. But, sources indicate they intend to record statements and might potentially take the girl into custody, as she is classified as a minor in Madhya Pradesh records.

In her complaint, the girl asserted that she is 18 years old and wishes to continue living in Kerala. She requested immediate intervention to block any attempt to take her out of the state against her will.

The four-member team from Madhya Pradesh reached Kochi after reportedly tracing the phone of Farmaan’s friend in the city who was present during the couple's marriage. The signal was localised to the Kakkanad area, though the individual was not present when police arrived. The MP team has since contacted him by phone, directing him to appear before them.

The controversy erupted on March 1, when the girl, who gained internet fame during the Kumbh Mela, married actor Farman Khan at a temple in Thiruvananthapuram. The wedding immediately drew national attention, not only for its interfaith nature but because of the high-profile guests in attendance.

Several senior CPM leaders, including state secretary MV Govindan and education minister V Sivankutty, attended the ceremony. They framed the marriage as a symbol of Kerala’s secular fabric and called it the ‘real Kerala Story’.

Shortly after the wedding, the girl’s family in Madhya Pradesh alleged she was a minor. While the couple produced documents, including her Aadhar, in Kerala stating she was 18, the family claimed her actual age was 16.

Following the family’s complaint, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) intervened, conducting an inquiry that reportedly found hospital records in MP confirming her birth date as December 30, 2009. 

The NCST has concluded that the marriage was illegal, stating that Monalisa was a minor. However, this finding stands in contrast to the document verification conducted by Kerala’s Local Self Government Department (LSGD) during the registration of her marriage.

The NCST launched its inquiry following a complaint by social activist and advocate Pratham Dubey. As part of the probe, a two-member panel comprising P Kalyan Reddy, Director at the NCST, and Prakash Kumar, the commission’s legal advisor, visited both Kerala and the Maheshwar district in Madhya Pradesh before submitting their report.

Based on its findings, the commission directed the Madhya Pradesh Police to register a case against Farmaan Khan under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) for allegedly marrying a minor. Dubey later claimed that the Maheshwar police had registered a case invoking provisions of the POCSO Act, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and other relevant sections related to conspiracy. 

However, when contacted by Onmanorama, Maheshwar police officials stated that no case had been registered under the POCSO Act. Anurag, Inspector General of Indore, clarified that only a case of abduction under Section 137(2) had been filed against Farmaan Khan.

Fearing arrest, Farman Khan approached the Kerala High Court, which granted interim protection from arrest till May 20.