SC to rule on property rights of Hindu women

The Supreme Court has decided to untangle the labyrinthine interpretations of property rights granted to Hindu women under Section 14 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, potentially marking a landmark in a saga spanning six decades.

- Utkarsh Anand

The question? Whether a Hindu wife inherits full ownership rights to property bequeathed by her husband, even when a will imposes restrictions.

A bench of justices PS Narasimha and Sandeep Mehta, grappling with the legal tug-of-war on an issue that has led to as many as 20 judgments in the last six decades, called for a larger bench on Monday to settle the issue once and for all.

The bench described the issue as one that "affects the rights of every Hindu female, her larger family, and such claims and objections that may be pending consideration in almost all original and appellate courts across the length and breadth of the country."

The stakes go far beyond legal semantics. For millions of Hindu women, the interpretation of Section 14 can determine whether they have the autonomy to use, transfer or sell property without interference.