New Delhi: In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India declared that a woman holds absolute ownership over her “streedhan,” which encompasses gold ornaments and other gifts received from her parents during marriage. The court emphasized that even after divorce, the woman’s father has no authority to demand the return of these gifts from her former in-laws.
Case Background:
- P. Veerabhadra Rao’s daughter married in December 1999, and the couple later moved to the United States.
- After 16 years of marriage, the daughter sought a divorce, which was granted by mutual consent in February 2016 by the Louis County Circuit Court in Missouri.
- Property and financial matters were settled through a separation agreement.
- The woman remarried in May 2018.
Legal Standpoint:
- The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol, unequivocally affirmed the woman’s sole right to her “streedhan.”
- Justice Karol stated that the generally accepted rule recognizes the woman’s absolute authority over her stridhan. The husband has no claim, and by extension, the father also lacks any right when the daughter is alive, healthy, and fully capable of making decisions regarding her stridhan.
- The court emphasized that criminal proceedings should serve justice, not revenge. Initiating proceedings for stridhan recovery more than two decades after marriage, five years after divorce, and three years after the daughter’s remarriage worked against the father’s claim.
- Crucially, the father lacked authorization from his daughter to pursue action for the recovery of her stridhan.
This ruling reinforces women’s property rights and underscores the importance of respecting their autonomy over stridhan, irrespective of marital status or family dynamics¹. Remember, legal decisions like this shape our society and empower individuals.
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