A viral claim that Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted its first-ever wedding on February 12, 2025, was widely circulated across media outlets, including CNBC-TV18, India Today, and The Mint. According to these reports, the wedding was to take place at the Mother Teresa Crown Complex within the premises of Rashtrapati Bhavan, with CRPF officers Poonam Gupta and Avnish Kumar tying the knot in a small, exclusive ceremony. It was claimed that President Droupadi Murmu personally approved the wedding after being impressed by Officer Poonam Gupta’s work as her Personal Security Officer (PSO).
However, Channeliam’s Fact Check revealed this claim to be false. The Rashtrapati Bhavan has hosted several weddings over the years, and an investigation by the official Digital Photo Library confirmed multiple wedding ceremonies at the estate dating back to 2015. Notably, former Presidents Ram Nath Kovind and Pranab Mukherjee attended these events.
Further, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) clarified the matter on February 12, 2025, debunking the claim. PIB stated that the Rashtrapati Bhavan has hosted numerous weddings since its inception and emphasized that the event involving Poonam Gupta and Avnish Kumar was not the first wedding at the venue. This clarification confirms that while the wedding may be significant, it is not unprecedented at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Poonam Gupta, from Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, is currently serving as a PSO at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She also led the first-ever all-women contingent at the 74th Republic Day parade. Her wedding to Avnish Kumar, stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, will be a private affair, with strict security measures in place.
Thus, the claim that the Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted its first-ever wedding is false, as the President’s Estate has a history of such ceremonies.
