Unmarried daughter can claim marriage expenses from parents says Court!

An unmarried woman has asked the court to claim her wedding expenses from her parents. The Chhattisgarh High Court has issued a sensational verdict.

Rajeshwari hails from Durg district in Chhattisgarh. She is 35. She filed a petition in Durg family court and made a claim of around ₹20 lakh to be given to her in the mode of marriage expense.The family court had dismissed the application by stating that there is no provision in the Act that a daughter can claim the amount of her marriage. Following this, Rajeshwari approached the Chhattisgarh State High Court.

Petition

In the petition filed by Rajeshwari in the Family Welfare Court, she has stated that her father Bhunu Ram works in a steel plant and that he will retire soon and that he will get Rs 55 lakh as retirement benefits and from that Rajeshwari wants to have Rs 20 lakh for her marriage.

Inquiry

Rajeshwari's petition was taken up for hearing in a session chaired by High Court judges Goutam Bhaduri and Sanjay S. Agrawal. The judges noted that "in Indian society, money must be spent before and after marriage. When unmarried women ask their parents for such expenses, the court cannot deny it."

Further, the Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that a woman can claim her marriage expenses from her parents under sections 1955 of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, even if she is not married.

Re-investigation

The Chhattisgarh High Court has adjourned the Family Welfare Court's judgment dismissing Rajeshwari's petition. Further, the High Court has directed the plaintiffs to appear before the Family Court under Section 3 (b) (ii) of the 1956 Act.

The Chhattisgarh High Court's ruling that unmarried women can get their marriage money back from their parents has been hotly debated across India.