Raipur/Bilaspur, Jan. 15 -- In a landmark ruling that reaffirms the primacy of statutory marriage under Indian law, the Chhattisgarh High Court has held that a live in relationship or even a man's acceptance of children cannot confer legal status when a woman's first marriage remains valid and undissolved. The court ruled that marital and inheritance rights flow strictly from law, not from long personal associations or mutual consent.
A Division Bench of Justice Rajani Dubey and Justice A.K. Prasad dismissed a petition filed by a woman and her two daughters who sought to be declared the lawful wife and legal heirs of a Bilaspur-based businessman. Upholding the Family Court's verdict, the Bench refused to recognise the claimed relationship,...