Justice Madhu Jain of the Delhi High Court dismissed a woman’s petition seeking to revive domestic violence proceedings against her father-in-law, holding that a father cannot be made liable under the Act merely because he did not control the conduct of his adult son.
Patna: The Patna High Court ruled that a father-in-law is not automatically required to provide maintenance to his widowed daughter-in-law under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (HAMA). The court stated that such liability arises only if the father-in-law has sufficient income from coparcenary property. The case originated from a Criminal Revision petition filed by a widowed woman seeking financial support from her late husband’s family.
