The Supreme Court ruled that an uncle-in-law cannot adopt his niece’s husband as a “ghardamad” for inheritance unless such a custom is legally proved. Setting aside three concurrent judgments, the Court held that the alleged Oraon tribal custom lacked sufficient evidence under customary law.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court reaffirmed that a legally valid adoption does not rely on registration of the adoption deed and set-aside the state authority’s refusal to grant compassionate appointment to an adopted son on technical grounds alone. This ruling clarifies that technical objections cannot defeat rightful claims arising from lawful adoption.
The Chhattisgarh government has amended adoption laws by replacing “adopted son” with “adopted child,” promoting gender equality. This change reflects a shift from patriarchal language and honors progressive figures like Teejan Bai and Phoolbasan Bai. Activists support this move while acknowledging further efforts are needed to eliminate gender bias in official language.
