Option Of Puberty Under Hindu Law Marriage in contravention of 5(iii) is neither void nor voidable BU divorce can be granted at instance of wife (Option of Puberty) !"# $%&& !P ' IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH Criminal Revn. Case No. 190 of 1975, Criminal Revn. Petn. No. 189 of 1975 and Criminal Misc. Petn. No. 809 of 1976 Decided On 09.08.1976 !""ellants Pinninti Venkataramana and Anr. Vs. Res"ondent State Hon'be #.$. Divan, Divan, C.$., !lladi %&""&s'ami and %&""&s'ami and M&(tadar M&(tadar,, $$.
!"d#es$
Co"nses$ )or !""ellant*Petitioner*P !""ellant*Petitioner*Plaintiff laintiff !. +&ra Rao and Rao and ! -a(sminara -a(sminaraana ana,, !dvs. )or Res"ondents*Defendant /. #as(ara Rao and Rao and . en&2o"al Rao, Rao, !dvs. S"b%e&t$ Fami Cat&( )ords *entioned IN A&ts+R"es+Orders$ 3ind& Marria2e !ct, 1955 4 +ection 5 , 3ind& Marria2e !ct, 1955 4 +ection 11 , 3ind& Marria Marria2e 2e !ct, !ct, 1955 1955 4 +ectio +ection n 1, 3ind& 3ind& Marria Marria2e 2e !ct, !ct, 1955 1955 4 +ectio +ection n 18, 3ind& 3ind& Marria2e !ct, 1955 4 +ection 1 :ndia Penal Code, 1860 4 +ection 109, :ndia Penal Code, 1860 4 +ection ;9; Marria2e -a's !mendment !ct, 1976 4 +ection 18 Case
Note$
,i- Fami oid and oidabe marria#e Se&tions /0 10 220 230 and 24 ,3- o5 Hind" *arria#e A&t0 26110 Se&tions 276 and /6/ o5 Indian Pena Code0 2897 and Se&tio Se&tion n 28 ,3- o5 *arria *arria#e #e :a;s :a;s ,Amend ,Amendme mentnt- A&t0 26<9 26<9 =artie =arties s to marr marria ia#e #e beo beo; ; t(ei t(eir r res= res=e& e&ti tie e a#es a#es as set set o" o"tt in Hind Hind" " *arr *arria ia#e #e A&t A&t ;(et(er a Hind" marria#e ;(ere =arties to marria#e or eit(er o5 t(em are beo beo; ; t(ei t(eir r res= res=e& e&ti tie e a#es a#es as =er =er Se&t Se&tio ion n 1 is oid oid ab init initio io and and is no marria#e in ee o5 a; (ed0 an marria#e soemni>ed in &ontraention o5 Ca"se ,iii- o5 Se&tion 1 is neit(er oid nor oidabe and on &onse?"en&e bein# t(at =ersons &on&erned are iabe 5or ="nis(ment "nder Se&tion 28 in &ase &ase i5 re?"ir re?"ireme ements nts o5 Ca"se Ca"se ,i- o5 S"b@se S"b@se&ti &tion on ,3- o5 Se&tio Se&tion n 24 are satis5ied a de&ree 5or dior&e &an be #ranted at instan&e o5 ;i5e.
,ii- Do&trine o5 5a&t"m aet marria#e o5 Hind" minor &annot be (ed inaid 5or ;ant o5 =roo5 o5 #"ardian's &onsent.
!UDG*ENT .!. Dian0 C.!. 1. +ince
>?eter a 3ind& Marria2e 2overned < te "rovisions of te 3ind& Marria2e !ct, 1955 'ere te "arties to te marria2e or eiter of tem are
:n Crl. R.C. of 1975, te facts of tat te "etitioner No. 1 'as convicted < te $&dicial )irst Class Ma2istrate, Ra@am for an offence "&nisa
ears of a2e. Be &s
+ave as oter'ise e"ressl "rovided in tis !ct4 a an test, r&le or inter"retation of 3ind& la' or an c&stom or &sa2e as "art of tat la' in force immediatel :t is 'ell settled la' tat te old 3ind& -a', as it "revailed "rior to te enactment of te 3ind& Marria2e !ct is to contin&e in force ece"t to te etent to 'ic tat la' 'as altered < te "rovisions of te 3ind& Marria2e !ct, 1955. :t is in te li2t of tis 'ell settled "rinci"le tat arises for o&r consideration. 5. +ection 5 las do'n te conditions for a 3ind& marria2e and it is in tese terms
>! marria2e ma
iv te "arties are not 'itin te de2rees of "roi +ection 11 las do'n as to 'en marria2es 2overned < te !ct are to
>!n marria2e solemniEed after te commencement of tis !ct sall . :t is t&s clear tat , < virt&e of +ection 11, an marria2e 'ic is solemniEed in contravention of an of te conditions s"ecified in cla&ses i, iv and v of +ection 5 is n&ll and void and if a Co&rt of com"etent @&risdiction is called &"on to ma(e a "rono&ncement , te Co&rt ma, on an a""lication "resented < eiter "art to te marria2e, declare s&c a marria2e to
of +ection 5 renders te marria2e voida
a in te case of a contravention of te condition s"ecified in cla&se iii of +ection 5, 'it sim"le im"risonment 'ic ma etend to fifteen das, or 'it fine 'ic ma etend to one to&sand r&"ees , or ' it #&t violation of cla&se i of +ection 5, 'ic re=&ires tat neiter "art as a s"o&se livin2 at te time of te marria2e is "&nisa
> ! marria2e &nder te 3ind& la' < a minor male is valid even to&2 te marria2e 'as not
minorit of an individ&al ma o"erate as a :n tis connection, $a2adisan , $. relied &"on Co&rt in en(atacar&l& v. Ran2acar&l& :-R 1991 Mad 16. :n tat case, te facts
>Bere can ?e res"ectf&ll a2ree 'it tis statement of la' as it "revailed "rior to te enactment of te 3ind& Marria2e !ct, 1955. !s $a2adisan, $. "ointed o&t in +ivanand v.#a2avatamma M!NA*BN*05*196 !:R196Mad;00 , te doctrine of fact&m valet 'as a""lica
iii of +ection 5, cannot
1955 and, terefore, te "rovisions of te 3ind& Marria2e !ct 'o&ld not a""l and it co&ld not
>Be =&estion for decision is 'eter a contravention of +. 5 of te !ct is a 2ro&nd for @&dicial se"aration or for n&llit of marria2e or for divorce. :f it is not so, ten it cannot :t 'as also o
>:t 'as not te intention of te le2islat&re tat contravention of ever and an condition, s"ecified in +. 5 'o&ld render a 3ind& marria2e void. Be contravention of onl an of te tree conditions s"ecified in cla&ses i, iv and v of +. 5 'o&ld render a 3ind& Marria2e n&ll and void. Berefore te marria2e
of a minor 'ife is neiter void nor voida 19. :n Mst. Ma 3ari v. Director of Consolidation 1969 !ll -$ 6. +atis Candra, $. +ittin2 sin2l, eld tat, to&2 te cond&ct of solemniEin2 a marria2e in contravention of cla&se iii of +. 5 of te 3ind& Marria2e !ct ma res< in te "&nisment of te marrin2 s"o&ses, et te marria2e 'o&ld not
>Cla&se iii of +. 5, "rovidin2 for te a2e of te 0. :n indan v. #arelal M!NA*MP*00;*1976 !:R1976MP8 a Division #enc of te Mada Prades 3i2 Co&rt eld tat a marria2e solemniEed in contravention of a2e mentioned in +. 5 is neiter void a< initio nor even voida
. :t ma Bis cla&se iv inserted in s&<4section of -e2islat&re tat te violation of Cla&se iii of +. 5 is not to render te marria2e eiter void or voida