In season of cross-border marriages, Sri Lankan woman on tourist visa marries Andhra man

Chittoor: Even before dust could settle over Pakistani Seema Haider's marriage to her Indian beau, another cross-border wedding has been reported in Andhra Pradesh.

A 25-year-old Sri Lankan woman who came on a visiting visa to India married a man from the Chittoor district. The woman now seeks help from the government to get Indian citizenship and stay with her husband.

Sri Lankan national Vikneshwariy Sivakumara arrived in India on July 14 and married 24-year-old D Lakasamanudu who belongs to Arimakula Palli village. The couple met through Facebook in 2017 fell in love and got married on July 20.

Sivakumara, whose passport mentions her profession as a housemaid, had told her family members that she was going on a tour and came to Andhra Pradesh to get married.

According to the police, Sivakumara and Lakasamanudu got married at Sai Baba temple in Venkatagirikota village. Later they applied for an Aadhaar card for Sivakumara at a local enrollment centre. However, officials got suspicious and alerted the police.

"Sivakumara arrived in India on a 30-day tourist visa but was planning to live in India. Police issued a notice and asked her to obtain a one-year visa to stay in India or return when her tourist visa expires on August 15," said Y Rishant Reddy, Superintendent of Police, Chittoor.

The woman subsequently applied to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for a longer visa based on their marriage. The marriage certificate has been submitted for this purpose.

If Sivakumara is denied a one-year visa, she would have to return to Sri Lanka after August 15 and then travel back to India again.

"I came to India to marry Lakshmanudu. I wish to remain in India permanently and live with my husband. I am requesting the Indian government for assistance," said the woman.

The cross-marriage comes against the backdrop of a similar incident when a married Pakistani woman who was impressed by the Indian man’s gaming skills fled her homeland along with her four underaged kids to marry his Indian beau.

In another case, a 34-year-old Indian mother of two children traveled to a remote village in Pakistan to marry her Facebook friend. Anju, who now goes by the name of Fatima after converting to Islam on July 25 married her 29-year-old friend Nasrullah, whose home is in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They became friends on Facebook in 2019.

Inputs from PTI