New Delhi, Jan. 28 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre on a petition filed by a non-believer Muslim woman seeking to be governed by the Indian Succession Act, 1925, instead of the Muslim Personal Law (Sharia Law) regarding inheritance.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, directed the Central government to file its response within four weeks. The matter was posted for hearing in the first week of May.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, explained that the petitioner, who has only one daughter, wants to bequeath her entire property to her daughter. However, under Sharia law, she would be allowed to b...