The Supreme Court clarified that such items must be treated as the woman’s exclusive personal property and must be returned upon the dissolution of the marriage. File pic/PTI

In a significant ruling aimed at reinforcing the financial security and dignity of divorced Muslim women , the Supreme Court of India has unequivocally stated that a woman is legally entitled to recover all property, including cash, gold ornaments, dower (mehr), and gifts, that was given to her or her husband at the time of marriage. The bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh clarified that such items must be treated as the woman’s exclusive personal property and must be returned upon the dissolution of the marriage.

The judgment hinged on a purposive interpretation of Section 3(1)(d) of the Muslim Wo

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