No wedding bells after 9 years, marriage bureau ordered to pay professor Rs 8,000

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 16, 2026 09:33 AM IST

The commission noted the man's submission that his elderly parents also awaited his marriage, but over the last nine years, the bureau brought no good proposal. (AI-generated image)

A Kerala consumer body recently held a marriage bureau liable for the grievance caused to a nursing college professor, who alleged that despite paying a registration fee and remaining enrolled with the agency for nearly nine years, he was not provided a suitable marriage proposal as promised. It directed the bureau to refund the Rs 3,000 registration fee and pay an additional Rs 5,000 as compensation for his mental agony and litigation costs.

President Ravi Susha, along with members Molykutty Mathew and Sajeesh K P of the Kannur District Consumer Disputes Commission, noted that the man had registered with the marriage bureau in 2016 and every year the bureau allegedly assured him that a suitable proposal would come forth, but failed to provide one.

“The opposite party (Sreechakra Marriage Bureau) has not appeared before the commission and has not proved his defence also. So the opposite party is directly bound to redress the grievances caused to the complainant. Therefore, we hold that the opposite party is liable to refund Rs 3,000 to the complainant along with Rs 3,000 as compensation for mental agony caused to the complainant and Rs 2,000 as litigation cost,” the June 30 order read.

The man had approached the consumer forum seeking refund of the Rs 3,000 registration fee and Rs 15,000 as compensation for mental agony caused to him.

Parents awaited wedding

The man claimed that he worked as a professor in a nursing college and after coming across an advertisement for Sreechakra Marriage Bureau, he registered his biodata with them. It was added that in November 2016, he paid Rs 3,000 to the bureau seeking suitable proposals.

He alleged that the marriage bureau assured him that a prospective bride from Kasaragod would be introduced to him. However, after collecting the registration fee, the bureau allegedly failed to do so. The man claimed that he had registered a profile with the bureau, which remained active until his prospective marriage and no fixed validity period was specified. He alleged that every year, the bureau repeated its assurances.

He added that his elderly parents were also waiting for his wedding, but for the last nine years, the bureau did not bring a good proposal to the complainant. In October 2025, the complainant’s father allegedly died due to cancer. His mother was also ailing.

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He added that the bureau’s failure caused him much mental agony and financial loss. Aggrieved, he moved the commission alleging deficiency of service and unfair trade practice on its part.

‘Caused mental agony’

Noting that the said company did not appear before the commission or file a written submission, the consumer body passed an ex parte order and directed the marriage bureau to refund the Rs 3,000 registration fee to the complainant, along with Rs 3,000 as compensation for mental agony caused to him.

It also directed the bureau to pay Rs 2,000 as litigation costs within 30 days. Failure to pay the said compensation will result in 9 per cent interest per annum on the amount of Rs 3,000 from the date of the order till realisation.

Significance

This ruling highlights that matrimonial service providers may be held accountable under consumer protection law if they fail to provide the services promised to consumers.

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For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and Union territories (Kerala helpline: 1800-425-1550) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

Richa Sahay is a Legal Correspondent for The Indian Express, where she focuses on simplifying the complexities of the Indian judicial system. A law postgraduate, she leverages her advanced legal education to bridge the gap between technical court rulings and public understanding, ensuring that readers stay informed about the rapidly evolving legal landscape.

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