Only First Wife Entitled To Family Pension If Deceased Government Employee Married Second Wife Without Divorce: Rajasthan High Court

In a landmark ruling, the Rajasthan High Court has granted the petition of the first wife of a deceased government employee, Urmila Devi, for family pension, stating that her marriage to the employee had not been legally dissolved. The court ruled that a "social divorce" does not constitute a legal dissolution of marriage under Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and therefore, the second marriage of the employee was not valid. Background…