The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that it would tread cautiously while examining petitions challenging provisions of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, cautioning that any ruling should not destabilise the Hindu social structure that has existed for millennia.

A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan was hearing challenges to Sections 15 and 16 of the Act, which deal with the devolution of property of a Hindu woman dying intestate. Under Section 15, such property passes first to the heirs of her husband before devolving upon her parents.

“ Do not demean the structure of the Hindu society that we already have. As a court, we are putting you to caution. There is a Hindu social structure and you do not bring it down… We do not want our judgment to break something t

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