11.1Master case-law table (by topic)#
In brief
Case (year) Topic One-line principle Collector of Madura v Moottoo Ramalinga (1868) Sources Clear custom overrides written text State of Bombay v Narasu Appa Mali (1952)…
| Case (year) | Topic | One-line principle |
|---|---|---|
| Collector of Madura v Moottoo Ramalinga (1868) | Sources | Clear custom overrides written text |
| State of Bombay v Narasu Appa Mali (1952) | Sources | Personal law is not ‘law in force’ for Article 13 (contested) |
| Vishwa Lochan Madan v Union of India (2014) | Sources | Fatwas and Sharia courts have no legal force |
| Bhaurao Lokhande v State of Maharashtra (1965) | Marriage | Solemnisation requires proper ceremonies |
| Dolly Rani v Manish Kumar Chanchal (2024) | Marriage | Hindu marriage needs ceremonies; registration is evidence only |
| Seema v Ashwani Kumar (2006) | Marriage | Compulsory registration of all marriages |
| Sarla Mudgal (1995) and Lily Thomas (2000) | Marriage | Conversion to remarry is bigamy |
| Revanasiddappa v Mallikarjun (2023) | Marriage | Children of void and voidable marriages share parents’ property |
| Lata Singh (2006); Shakti Vahini (2018); Shafin Jahan (2018) | Marriage | Free choice of spouse is protected by Article 21 |
| Supriyo v Union of India (2023) | Marriage | No fundamental right to marry; SMA not read down |
| Shamim Ara v State of UP (2002) | Muslim divorce | Talaq must be for cause, preceded by attempt at reconciliation and proved |
| Shayara Bano v Union of India (2017) | Muslim divorce | Instant triple talaq void (3:2) |
| Zohara Khatoon v Mohd. Ibrahim (1981) | Muslim divorce | Khula and the wife’s right to dissolution |
| N.G. Dastane v S. Dastane (1975) | Divorce | Cruelty: balance of probabilities |
| Shobha Rani v Madhukar Reddi (1988) | Divorce | Cruelty need not be intentional; dowry demand is cruelty |
| Samar Ghosh v Jaya Ghosh (2007) | Divorce | Mental cruelty illustrations; irretrievable breakdown considerations |
| Bipinchandra v Prabhawati (1957) | Divorce | Elements of desertion |
| Saroj Rani v Sudarshan Kumar (1984) | Divorce | Section 9 valid; Sareetha overruled in effect |
| Sureshta Devi v Om Prakash (1991) | Divorce | Consent in 13B must continue till decree |
| Amardeep Singh v Harveen Kaur (2017) | Divorce | 6-month period under 13B(2) is directory |
| Shilpa Sailesh v Varun Sreenivasan (2023) | Divorce | Article 142 divorce on irretrievable breakdown |
| Joseph Shine v Union of India (2018) | Divorce | Adultery decriminalised; still a civil ground |
| D. Velusamy v D. Patchaiammal (2010) | Live-in | Four conditions for ‘relationship in the nature of marriage’ |
| Indra Sarma v V.K.V. Sarma (2013) | Live-in | Guidelines; not every live-in is protected by DV Act |
| S. Khushboo v Kanniammal (2010) | Live-in | Live-in not an offence |
| Y. Narasimha Rao v Y. Venkata Lakshmi (1991) | Foreign decrees | Test for recognition of foreign matrimonial decrees |
| Satya v Teja Singh (1975) | Foreign decrees | Fraud on jurisdiction invalidates foreign divorce |
| Bai Tahira (1979); Fuzlunbi (1980); Shah Bano (1985) | Maintenance | Section 125 applies to Muslims; mahr is not a bar |
| Danial Latifi (2001) | Maintenance | 1986 Act valid; fair provision covers future |
| Mohd. Abdul Samad (2024) | Maintenance | Section 125 CrPC available to Muslim women in addition to 1986 and 2019 Acts |
| Rajnesh v Neha (2020) | Maintenance | Affidavit of assets; interim maintenance from application |
| Satish Chander Ahuja v Sneha Ahuja (2020) | Maintenance | ‘Shared household’ includes in-laws’ house where she lived |
| Abdul Kadir v Salima (1886) | Dower and stridhan | Dower is not consideration, but respect to the wife |
| Maina Bibi (1924); Kapore Chand (1953) | Dower and stridhan | Widow’s lien, no title |
| Tulasamma (1977) | Dower and stridhan | Section 14(1) HSA enlarges limited estate in lieu of maintenance |
| Pratibha Rani v Suraj Kumar (1985) | Dower and stridhan | Stridhan belongs solely to the wife |
| Shabnam Hashmi (2014) | Adoption and guardianship | JJ Act adoption open to all irrespective of religion |
| Lakshmi Kant Pandey (1984) | Adoption and guardianship | Inter-country adoption guidelines; child’s welfare |
| Gita Hariharan v RBI (1999) | Adoption and guardianship | Mother can be natural guardian even in father’s lifetime (‘after’ = ‘in absence of’) |
| ABC v State (NCT of Delhi) (2015) | Adoption and guardianship | Unwed mother as sole guardian |
| Imambandi v Mutsaddi (1918) | Adoption and guardianship | Mother has custody but is not guardian of property (Muslim law) |
| Gurupad v Hirabai (1978) | Succession | Notional partition |
| Prakash v Phulavati (2015); Danamma (2018); Vineeta Sharma (2020) | Succession | Evolution of daughters’ coparcenary rights; Vineeta settles |
| Arunachala Gounder v Ponnusamy (2022) | Succession | Daughter inherits father’s self-acquired property |
| John Vallamattom (2003) | Succession | Section 118 ISA unconstitutional |
| Venkatachala Iyengar v Thimmajamma (1959) | Will, gift, wakf | Proof of wills; suspicious circumstances |
| Mohammad Abdul Ghani v Fakhr Jahan (1922) | Will, gift, wakf | Muslim gift needs no registration |
| Hafeeza Bibi v Shaikh Farid (2011) | Will, gift, wakf | Oral Muslim gift valid with declaration, acceptance and delivery |
| In re: Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 (15 September 2025) | Will, gift, wakf | Interim order: key provisions stayed; whole Act not stayed |
| Shah Bano (1985); Sarla Mudgal (1995); John Vallamattom (2003) | UCC | Urged enactment of UCC |