Estate Liable for Maintenance Because Widow Is a Statutory Dependant

Kanchana Rai Vs Geeta Sharma & Ors. (Supreme Court of India) Widow Is a Dependant—Whenever Widowhood Occurs: Supreme Court Affirms Maintenance Right from Father-in-Law’s Estate The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals and authoritatively held that a daughter-in-law who becomes a widow even after the death of her father-in-law is a ‘dependant’ under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, and is entitled to claim maintenance from the estate of the deceased father-in-law. Interpreting Section 21(vii), the Court emphasized the plain and unambiguous language—“any widow of his...