Non-Disclosure of Prior Live-In Relationship Amounts to ‘Fraud’ under Section 12(1)(c) of Hindu Marriage Act: Jharkhand High Court

The Jharkhand High Court has delivered an important judgment clarifying the scope of Section 12(1)(c) Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, holding that non-disclosure of a prior live-in relationship before marriage amounts to fraud regarding a material fact. The Court ruled that such concealment vitiates free consent and makes the marriage voidable, liable to be annulled by a decree of nullity. Bench and Nature of Proceedings The matter was decided by a…