Saroj Devi & ORS v. Indrawati
!"# $#%&'&()
+ ,!-. #/&!($"0#-'
#"&"&(#-'
/#-'1'
($-!2!"&!($!("0#- #'3($#("'
) 4 5 , 5 , -#'#(") - 6#78 $/%!"#8
-"0#3#"&"&(#-'
-9&:-!;,&(<08 $/%!"#8
--#'3($#("(
5 ,8 -!7
= "0&' 3#"&"&(8 "0# 3#"&"&(#-' 0!/# %0!77#(<#$ "0# -$#- 3!''#$>="0#7#!-(#$&/&7 1$<#,#(&- &/&'&(6!-(!78$!"#$
%3= ((#?1-#@+8>=20&%0-#'3($#("( 0#-#&(3#"&"&(#-># -#"0# "-&!71-"8(!(!337&%!"&( &7#$1($#--$#-17#
'##:&(<" 2&"0$-!2"0# 3#"&"&( 4( "#%0(&%!7 <-1($'4 2&"0 ( '3#%& &% <-1($'
!%"1!77=<&/#(&("0#!337&%!"&(8!%3= 20&%0&'!((#?#$!' ((#?1-#@ 2&"0"0#3#"&"&(80!'>##(!772#$"$'82&"0"0#"-&!71-"07$&(< !' 772')@ A(/ "0#'"!"#;#(" 3#"&"&(#-($-!2!"&8"0#3-#'#("
3#"&"&(1($#-,#%"&(B "0#($&!(,1%%#''&( %"8&'
0#-#>=$&';&''#$!' 2&"0$-!2(2&"0"0#3#-;&''&(" &7#
-#'03#"&"&(C'1&"('!;#%!1'# !%"&('1>.#%""7!2
7&;&"!"&( &7#>#%('&<(#$""0#-#%-$-;! "#-$1#
%;37&!(%#D 01'87&>#-"=0!'>##(<-!("#$""0# '" -#'3($#("8/&$#"0# &;31<(#$-$#-8" -#'0'1&"C3#"&"&(("0#'!;#%!1'# !%"&(8 2&"0"0!"3!-" "0#-$#->#&(<!%!1'# <-&#/!(%#""0#3#"&"&(#-
# -#>'#-/&(<!'!>/#8"0#&;31<(#$-$#-3#('2&"0"0# 7&(#"0!""0#-#37=""0#!337&%!"&(1($#--$#-17#
0!$("
>##( &7#$>="0#3-#'#("3#"&"&(#-
"#-"0# '"%("#'"&(<-#'3($#("31"&(!(!33#!-!(%#13( ("&%# 0!/&(< >##( &''1#$ &( "0# 3#"&"&( 2&"0 "0# %!'# 0!/&(< >##( !$.1-(#$ "&;# !($ !<!&( ( "0# -#E1#'" %1('#78 #/#("1!77= (
+8"0# 772&(<-$#-0!$>##(3!''#$>="0&'1-")@ A-#787#!-(#$%1('#7 -"0#3#"&"&(#-'813(E1#-= 3&("'""0#!337&%!"&( &7#$>="0#3#"&"&(#-1($#--$#- 17#
># -#"0#7#!-(#$"-&!71-"&("0#3#"&"&( &('"&"1"#$>="0#-#'3($#("0#-#&(1($#- ,#%"&(B "0# ($&!(,1%%#''&( %"820#-#&(&"&''"!"#$"0!""0#;!""#-!'
-#<!-$'"0#'"!"1' "0#-#'3($#("!'"0#2& #C2&$2 7!"# !;3!7!7-#!$='"!($''#""7#$&(!3-#/&1'-&<0"13""0&' 1-"!($("0!"<-1($!7(#"0#3#"&"&(1($#-,#%"&(B
-2!'(";!&("!&(!>7# #"0#-#!
"#-3&("'"0# !%""0!"2&"01"!(=-#37= &7#$ ""0#!337&%!"&(1($#--$#-17#
8"0#-#'3($#("
&7#$ !( !337&%!"&( '##:&(< " 2&"0$-!2 0#- 3#"&"&( ( A"#%0(&%!7<-1($'D%3= ((#?1-#@8'##:&(<3#-;&''&( " &7#!%&/&7'1&"E1!"0#'!;#-#7&# 820&%03#-;&''&(0!$
>##(<-!("#$/&$#"0#&;31<(#$-$#-8'1>.#%"""0#%&/&7'1&" >#&(<&('"&"1"#$2&"0&(7&;&"!"&( 5#!-(#$%1('#7 -"0#-#'3($#("(">#&(<3-#'#("
"$!=20&%0&''##(">#'#/#(("0#7!'"$!"# 0#!-&(< 20#("0#%!'#!%"1!77=%!;#13&# B
$.1-(#$"
+ >#'02(&("0#1-<#("7&'"D
$!=8 -9&:-!; ,&(<08 $/%!"#8 !33#!-' --#'3($#("
( !($ '1>;&"' "0!"( -#!'(&(< !%"1!77=0!/&(< >##( <&/#(&( "0# &;31<(#$-$#-8"0#-$#-;!=>#'#"!'&$#82&"0"0#"-&!71-"$&-#%"#$" 3!''! -#'0-#!'(#$-$#- B 5#!-(#$%1('#7 -"0#3#"&"&(#-'02#/#--#&"#-!"#'"0!""0# &''1# -#'3($#("( >#&(<"0#2& #C2&$2 "0#7!"#!;!7!7-#!$= 0!/&(<>##('#""7#$&(!3-#/&1'-&<0"13""0&'1-">=2!= B
B8$#%&$#$(
8"0#7&>#-"=<-!("#$>="0#"-&!7 1-"" -#'0'1&"&'2077=&;3#-;&''&>7# # 1-"0#-'1>;&"'"0!"#/#(&("0#!337&%!"&( &7#$1($#- -$#-817#
># -#"0#"-&!7%1-"%3=!((#?#$!' ((#?1-#@8"0#
'"-#'3($#("0#-#&(0!$<&/#((-#!'( -2&"0$-!2&(<"0#3#"&"&(!($
&7&(<! -#'0(# !/&(< %('&$#-#$ "0# !
-#'!&$ !-<1;#("'8 "01<0 20!"
-#787#!-(#$%1('#7 -"0#3#"&"&(#-'8&''!=&(<217$
'##;">#%--#%">="0&'1-"&(/ "0# !%""0!"&( B
&('"&"1"#$>=-#'3($#("( 0#-#&(8"0&'1-"0!$!7-#!$=0#7$"0!"
"0#;!--&!<# ($-!2!"&8&#-#'3($#("( 0#-#&(82&"0!;!78%!(("
>#'!&$">#!/!7&$;!--&!<#!'0#0!$(""!:#(!$&/-%# -;0&' &-'"
2& #3-&-"0&';!--&!<#2&"0($-!2!"&82&"0"0!"-$#-&( !%"0!/&(< >##(%0!77#(<#$># -#"0#,13-#;#1-">=-#'3($#("( >=2!=
,5&/&7( B
20&%02!'$&';&''#$802#/#-8'&(%#"0#"0# &;31<(#$-$#-&'!%"1!77=>#-# " !(=-#!'(&(<20!"'#/#-82&"01"
;!:&(<!(= 1-"0#-%;;#("8"0&'3#"&"&(&'!772#$!($"0#'!&$-$#-'#" !'&$#0#"-&!71-"&'$&-#%"#$"3!''! -#'0-$#-("0#!337&%!"&(
&7#$>=-#'3($#("( 0#-#&('##:&(<"2&"0$-!2"0#3#"&"&(2&"07&>#-"= " -#'0(#8'3#%& &%!77=<&/&(<-#!'('"0#-#&(& 7&>#-"=&'">#<&/#( "0#-" -#'0'1&"C3#"&"&(("0#'!;#%!1'# !%"&(& &("0# 3&(&( "0!"%1-"8'1%07&>#-"='017$>#'<&/#( !"1-!77=8!(=!-<1;#("'-!&'#$>=-#'3($#("( 0#-#&(!'" 20='1%07&>#-"='017$>#<-!("#$&('3&"# "0#$&';&''!7 0#--#/&'&( 3#"&"&(>="0&'1-"!($"0#,5'1>'#E1#("7= &7#$>=0#-8217$># ("&%#$>="0#"-&!71-"&(&"'-$#-
+
3:C$&(#'0 F0#"0#-'3#!:&(<C-#!'(#$ #'C F0#"0#-#3-"!>7# #'C