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 Delhi High Court held that daughters cannot claim inheritance or partition rights in agricultural land where succession opened before the 2005 Hindu Succession Act amendment, ruling that such cases remain governed by the Delhi Land Reforms Act, under which male lineal descendants receive preference in succession.
On December 24, 2024, the Delhi High Court ruled in the case of Birbal Saini v. Satywati, clarifying property rights under Hindu law. The court distinguished between ancestral and inherited property, determining that the disputed property was inherited by Bharat Singh and thus self-acquired, allowing its sale without heirs’ consent.
