Jambughoda: The incharge Talati of Kanjipani Gram Panchayat in Jambughoda taluka of Panchmahal district has been suspended after allegations surfaced that 24 marriages were registered by him in a single day using fake documents and that nearly Rs 50 lakh was collected from applicants in exchange for bogus marriage certificates. The action follows a complaint by North Gujarat based Sardar Patel Group (SPG) chairman Lalji Patel, prompting the District Panchayat to initiate an investigation.

Talati Mantri A. K. Meghwal, who was holding charge of four gram panchayats, including Kanjipani and Udhwan, was suspended with immediate effect by the District Development Officer. Jambughoda Taluka Panchayat has also formed a separate inquiry team to probe the allegations, and its findings will be submitted to the district authorities.

According to officials, sarpanches of Kanjipani and Udhwan had earlier informed the Taluka Panchayat that marriages were being registered improperly. SPG group leader Lalji Patel later alleged that large sums of money were being collected by the Talati in exchange for fraudulent certificates. Acting on these allegations, the Taluka Panchayat issued a notice to Meghwal and escalated the matter to the District Panchayat, which moved swiftly to suspend him.

This is not the first time that Panchmahal district has witnessed such irregularities. Incidents of bogus marriage registrations have previously been reported in Sheharani Bhadrala, Ghoghambani Kankodakoi and the erstwhile Nathkuwa gram panchayats. In the past, inquiry teams were formed against Talatis of these panchayats as well, resulting in the removal of Bhadrala Panchayat Talati P. M. Parmar and the transfer of the Talati of Kankodakoi.

Investigations earlier revealed that Kankodakoi Panchayat registered 361 marriages in seven months, including several from outside the area and even from minority communities, raising questions about the authenticity of documents submitted.

The latest controversy intensified after a video of Meghwal went viral on social media. In the video, he is heard claiming to have registered nearly 2,000 marriages in a single year and to have collected around Rs 2,500 per registration, amounting to roughly Rs 50 lakh in earnings. He is also heard stating that he purchased land in Rajasthan using these funds.

Following the viral video, Jambughoda Taluka Panchayat formed a team to examine all marriage registrations carried out in 2025 across the four panchayats under Meghwal’s charge. The team will verify whether proper documentation was collected and whether the registrations were legal.

Adding to the controversy, the husband of the Sarpanch of Kanjipani village has alleged that the venue mentioned in several marriage certificates—Ramji Mandir, Kanjipani—does not exist at all in the village. He has claimed that no such temple is present, raising further suspicion about the authenticity of the entries.

The investigation is ongoing, and the District Development Officer is expected to take further action once the inquiry report is submitted.