Widowed Daughter-in-Law Entitled to Seek Maintenance from Father-in-Law’s Estate; Court Refers to Manusmriti: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India delivered an important judgment clarifying the rights of a widowed daughter-in-law under Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956. The Court held that a woman is entitled to claim maintenance from her father-in-law’s estate even if she became a widow after the death of her father-in-law. This ruling came in the case Kanchana Rai versus Geeta Sharma and Others, decided by a Bench comprising Justice Pankaj…