Hindu Marriage Not Valid Without ‘Saat Pheras’, Rules Allahabad HC
The Allahabad High Court recently ruled that a Hindu marriage is not legally valid without the ‘saptapadi’ ceremony, where the couple takes seven rounds around the sacred fire. The court dismissed a case in which a husband accused his wife of bigamy, stating that there was no proof of the essential marriage ritual.
Court’s Observation on Hindu Marriage
Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh, on September 19, emphasized that under Hindu law, a marriage is only valid if it is performed with proper rituals. The court cited Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, which states that a Hindu marriage must follow the customary rites and ceremonies of either party. Among these rites, ‘saptapadi’ is crucial, as the marriage is only considered complete when the seventh step is taken.
“If a marriage does not meet the legal requirements, it is not valid in the eyes of the law,” the court noted. Since the husband’s complaint lacked any mention of the ‘saptapadi’ ceremony, the court ruled that no case of bigamy could be made against the wife.
Case Background
The case involved Smriti Singh, who married Satyam Singh in 2017. Due to conflicts in their relationship, she left her in-laws’ house and later filed a case of dowry harassment against her husband and his family. Following an investigation, the police charged the husband and his in-laws.
Additionally, Smriti filed for maintenance, and the family court in Mirzapur ordered her husband to pay ₹4,000 per month until she remarried. Later, the husband alleged that Smriti had remarried without divorcing him and filed a case of bigamy against her.
Court Dismisses the Complaint
On April 21, 2022, a magistrate summoned Smriti Singh based on her husband’s complaint. However, she challenged this order in the Allahabad High Court. After reviewing the case, the HC found no evidence of the ‘saptapadi’ ceremony in the alleged marriage and dismissed the complaint.
The court ruled that since the essential marriage ritual was missing, the second marriage was not legally valid. Therefore, the allegation of bigamy did not hold, leading to the cancellation of the case against Smriti Singh.
This ruling reinforces that a Hindu marriage must follow proper rituals to be legally recognized.
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