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In a giant twist to the viral love tale, Monalisa Bhosle, the bead seller who had turned into an overnight sensation on the internet during the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, has been discovered to be a minor.

A probe by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) had shown that Monalisa, or her real name, Monalisa Bhosle, was merely around 16 years old when she was married to Farman Khan in Kerala last month. She was allegedly born on December 30, 2009, in hospital records.

After the investigation, an FIR was filed by the police of the district of Khargone in the state of Madhya Pradesh against Farman Khan under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and other applicable sections at the Maheshwar police station. To hide her actual age, authorities claim that the marriage was solemnized with false documents.

The case has raised much controversy in the online circles, with many questioning the status of the interfaith marriage that had earlier attracted national media attention. The NCST panel has declared the marriage unlawful, and more research is in progress.