The Madras High Court on Monday upheld a family court's annulment of the September 2005 marriage between Prashanth and Grihalakshmi on the ground the woman had suppressed the fact that she was married earlier.

A division bench comprising Justice K Mohan Ram and Justice G M Akbar Ali said: “The suppression of the marriage registered between Grihalakshmi and another person (Narayan Venu Prasad) is a material fact amounting to fraud, and thereby render the marriage (with Prashanth) voidable.”

Dismissing her appeal on Monday, the division bench said that the certified copy of the Hindu marriage register is a public document within the meaning of Section 74 of the Evidence Act.

“The certified copies are admissible as secondary evidence under the Act,” the judges said and added: “Since we have held that a suppression of registration of earlier marriage amounts to fraud, the provision under Section 12(1) (c) is attracted and the competent court is empowered to annul the marriage.”