Noting that it would be wary of shattering the Hindu social structure and its basic tenets that have been in existence for thousands of years, the Supreme Court has said it would move cautiously while examining challenges to provisions of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956.

“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 that has been there for thousands of years,” a Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan said.

The top court was hearing petitions challenging Section 15 of the Act, according to which when a Hindu woman dies intestate, her property devolves to her husband’s heirs first before her own

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