The Supreme Court has ruled that a widowed daughter-in-law qualifies as a dependant under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956. This recognition allows her to legally seek maintenance from the estate left behind by her deceased father-in-law.
The Supreme Court dismissed a long-running inheritance dispute after the only witness to the mother’s will admitted he knew nothing about it, making the will legally invalid. The Court ruled that the property must now devolve under natural Hindu succession, allowing the son to inherit his mother’s share.
NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna made an important statement regarding inheritance laws in India. He said that every person should have the freedom to stop following a religion and choose to be governed by secular inheritance laws. This right should apply to people of all religions equally.
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.