In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court reinforced the principle that ‘stridhan’—gifts given to a woman before, during, or after marriage—is solely her property. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta clarified that husbands have no claim over these assets and are obligated to return them if used during times of need. The court emphasized a woman’s absolute right to dispose of her ‘stridhan’ as she sees fit. Additionally, the ruling stated that husbands or their families could face criminal prosecution under the Indian Penal Code for dishonestly appropriating ‘stridhan’. The judgment stemmed from a matrimonial dispute where a woman alleged her husband took her jewelry on their wedding day. Despite the Kerala High Court’s initial dismissal, the Supreme Court upheld the family court’s decision, ordering the husband to compensate the woman with Rs 25 lakh, considering the 15-year delay since the initial ruling.
