The Kerala High Court today decided against extending the arrest protection previously granted to Mohammed Farmaan Khan, the husband of Monalisa Bhosle, who gained fame during the Kumbh Mela. Khan was implicated in a case in Madhya Pradesh accusing him of kidnapping Bhosle and questioning the legality of their marriage. This decision follows his request for an extension of the protection initially provided to him by the court. The case, titled Moh Farmaan & Anr. v. State of Kerala & Ors., has drawn significant attention due to its intersection of legal and social issues surrounding interfaith marriages.
The court had earlier granted Khan a transit anticipatory bail, which shielded him from arrest for one month, allowing him to seek anticipatory bail from a Madhya Pradesh court. However, his plea for anticipatory bail was recently dismissed by a special POCSO court in Madhya Pradesh. Justice Kauser Edappagath of the Kerala High Court today made it clear that the court does not have jurisdiction to further extend the transit anticipatory bail. Referring to the Supreme Court ruling in Priya Indoria v. State of Karnataka, Justice Edappagath emphasized that anticipatory bail should typically be requested in the jurisdiction where the FIR is lodged, unless exceptional circumstances justify approaching an alternate court.
Justice Edappagath stated, “As per Priya Indoria, I don’t have jurisdiction. I have exercised my jurisdiction to the maximum,” thus dismissing Khan’s plea to extend his protection from arrest.
Monalisa Bhosle became well-known after videos of her selling beads at the 2025 Kumbh Mela went viral. She and Khan married in Kerala on March 11, 2026. Their marriage sparked controversy when allegations surfaced claiming Bhosle was only 16 at the time, thus not meeting the legal age for marriage. This brought into question the legitimacy of their marriage and potential violations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). A kidnapping complaint filed by Bhosle’s father led to a criminal case against Khan.
Anticipating arrest, Khan and Bhosle approached the Kerala High Court for anticipatory bail, disputing claims of Bhosle’s minority. On June 3, the court granted Khan a month-long transit anticipatory bail. Furthermore, on June 19, the court instructed Kerala Police to protect Bhosle, in light of the threats and online harassment faced due to their interfaith marriage.
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During today’s hearing, Senior Counsel K Gopalakrishna Kurup, representing Khan, argued that Madhya Pradesh authorities are aggressively pursuing Khan, activating the entire state machinery against him. He also noted that the couple has challenged the alleged falsification of government records concerning Bhosle’s age. Kurup urged for an extension of Khan’s protection to allow time to file for anticipatory bail in Madhya Pradesh. Despite these arguments, the court chose not to extend the protection.
Bhosle and Khan were also represented by advocates M Sasindran, Satheeshan Alakkadan, and Mrinal Chand M.
