Holding

In the absence of proof of a custom that makes the second marriage void, no offence under Section 494 IPC can be made out and the Hindu Marriage Act does not apply without a statutory notification; maintenance rights are civil matters.

Summary

The appellant, a member of the Oraon tribe, alleged that her husband, a Santhal, contracted a second marriage while their first marriage subsisted, and filed a criminal complaint for bigamy under Section 494 of the IPC. The trial magistrate dismissed the complaint for lack of evidence of any tribal custom that makes a second marriage void, and the Delhi High Court affirmed that the Hindu Marriage Act did not apply because no notification under Section 2(2) existed. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the parties, being Scheduled Tribes, fell within the ambit of the Hindu Marriage Act and whether a custom of monogamy could render the second marriage void for criminal liability. The Court held that without a specific, proven custom that has the force of law, the second marriage could not be declared void and no offence under Section 494 could be established; the Hindu Marriage Act remained inapplicable absent a statutory notification. The Court further directed that any claim to maintenance, succession or other benefits must be pursued in a civil suit. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 applies to parties belonging to Scheduled Tribes in the absence of a notification under Section 2(2).
Whether a tribal custom mandating monogamy can render a second marriage void and constitute an offence under Section 494 of the Indian Penal Code.
Whether the appellant is entitled to maintenance, succession and other benefits in the absence of a criminal conviction.
Whether the prosecution must prove the existence of a custom having the force of law to establish the offence of bigamy.

Legislation cited

Subjects

bigamyHindu Marriage ActScheduled Tribescustom of monogamymaintenancecivil remedyIPC 494criminal liability

Judgment

A DR. SURAJMANI STELLA KUJUR
v.
DURGA CHARAN HANSDAH AND ANR.

FEBRUARY 14, 2001

B [K.T. THOMAS AND R.P. SETHI, JJ.]

Hindu Law:

Hindu Marriage Act, 1955-Seclion 2(2)-Hindu for the purposes of
C the Act--Who is-Schedule Tribes-Solemnisation of second marriage by
hushand during suhsistence offirst marriage-Complain/ of bigamy by wife-
Held, Hindu Marriage Act not applicable us no requisite notification was
passed under the Act--Proof of existence of any Custom barring bigamy not
established-Second marriage not void--Constilution (Schedule Tribes) Order
1950 as amended by Scheduled Castes and Schedules Tribes (Amendment)
D Acts.

Penal Code, 1860 :

S.494-Bigamy-ln the absence of proof of any custom making second '!-
marriage void, no offence made out-Maintenance, succession and other
E benefits-Entitlement to--Held, separate civil proceedings to be initiated in
a competent court for entitlement.

Respondent and Appellant, who are husband and wife, belong to different
tribal communities. Respondent solemnised second marriage during the
F subsistence of his first marriage with the appellant. The appellant filed a
complaint against the respondent before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate for
offence of bigamy. The complaint was dismissed by the Magistrate as no
evidence of custom barring bigamy was proved by the appellant. In appeal, the
High Court held that the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act are inapplicable
to the parties in the absence of notification under sub-section (2) of Section
G 2 of the Act.

In appeal to this Court, the appellant contended that her marriage was
solemnised with the respondent according to Hindu rites and customs; that
the custom in the Tribe mandates monogamy as a rule; that the second
marriage was solemnised during the-subsistence of the first marriage and
H 102s·
DR. S.S. KU.IUR v. D.C. HANSDAH 1029
so the second marriage is void; that the respondent has not obtained divorce A
through Court of Law; that if the second marriage is not void and the
respondent is not guilty ofbigamy, then she is entitled to maintenance,
succession and other benefits on :iccount of her being the legally wedded wife
of the respondent.

Dismissing the appeal, the Court B
HELD: I. In the complaint, the appellant has not referred to any alleged
custom having the force of law which prohibits the solemnisation of second
marriage by the respondent and the consequences thereof. Mere pleading of
a custom stressing for monogamy by itself was not sufficient unless it was
further pleaded that second marriage was void by reason of its taking place C
during the life of such husband or wife. In order to prove the second marriage
V void, the appellant was under an obligation to show the existence of a custom
which made such marriage null, ineffectual, having no force of law or binding
effect, incapable of being enforced in law or non-est. The fact of second
marriage being void is a sine qua non for the applicability of Section 494 D
IPC. It is settled position of law that for fastening the criminal liability, the
prosecution or the complainant is obliged to prove the existence of all the
ingredients constituting the crime which is normally and usually defined by
~ a statute. (1033-F-H)

2. In view of the fact that parties admittedly belong to the Scheduled E
Tribes within the meaning of clause (25) of Article 366 of the Constitution
as notified by the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 as amended
by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Acts 63 of
1956, 108 of 1976, 18 of 1987 and 15 of 1990 passed in terms of Article
,. 342, and in the absence of specific pleadings, evidence and proof of the alleged
custom making the second marriage void, no offence under Section 494 of F
the Indian Penal Code can possible be made out against the respondent.
(1034-C-DI

3. With respect to the entitlement to maintenance, succession and other
benefits, the appellant is at liberty to get her right established by way of civil
proceedings in a competent court of jurisdiction. If any such proceedings are G
""f initiated, the same would be decided on their merits in accordance with the
principles of pleadings and proof, not being influenced by any of the
observations made by the Trial Magistrate or the High Court. (1034-F-G(

Mirza Raja Pushpavati Vijayaram Gajapathi Raj & Ors. v. Sri
Pushavathi Visweswar Gajapathiraj Rajkumar of Vizianagram & Ors., AIR H
1030 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2001] I S.C.R.

A 11964) SC 118; Bhagwan Kaer v. JC. Bose & Ors., ILR XXXI Calcutta Series
11 and Rama!akshmi Ammal v. Sivanatha Peruma/, 14 Moo. Ind. App. 570,
relied on.

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal Appeal No.
186 of2001.
B
From the Judgment and Order dated 7.3.2000 of the Delhi High Court
in Crl. R.P. No. 172 of 1997.

Sushil Kr. B.S. Mor and N.S. Bisht for the Appellant.

C Anku I Chandra Pradhan and Shiv Sagar Tiwari for the Respondents.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

SETHI, J. Leave granted.

D Who is a "Hindu" for the purposes of the applicability of the Hindu
Marriage Act, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act")? is a question oflaw
to be determined in this appeal.

Section 2 of the Act specifies the persons to whom the Act is applicable. )--
Clauses (a), (b) and (c) of Sub-section (I) of Section 2 make the Act applicable
E to a person who is a Hindu by religion in any of its forms or developments
including a Virashaiva, a Lingayat or a follower of the Brah mo, Prarthana or
Arya Samaj and to persons who is a Buddhist, Jaina or Sikh by religion. It
is also applicable to any other person domiciled in the territories of India who
is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew by religion. The applicability of the
Act is, therefore, comprehensive and applicable to all persons domiciled in the
F
territory of India who are not Muslims, Christians, Parsis or Jews by religion.

The term "Hindu" has not been defined either under the Act or Indian
Succession Act or any other enactment of the Legislature. As far back as in
1903 the Privy Council in Bhagwan Kaer v. JC. Bose & Ors., [ILR (XXXI)
G Calcutta Series 11) observed:
"We shall not attempt here to lay down a general definition of what
is meant by the term 'Hindu', to make it accurate and at the same time
sufficiently comprehensive as well as distinctive is extremely difficult.
The Hindu religion is marvellously catholic and elastic. Its theology
H is marked by eclecticism and tolerance and almost unlimited freedom
DR. S.S. KUJUR v. D.C. HANSDAH [SETHI, J.] 1031

of private worship. Its social code is much more stringent, but amongst A
its different castes and sections exhibits wide diversity of practice. No
trait is more marked of Hindu society in general than its horror of
using the meat of the cow. Yet the Chamaras who profess Hinduism,
but who eat beef and the flesh of dead animals, are however low in
the scale included within its pale. It is easier to say who are not B
Hindus, not practically and separation of Hindus from non-Hindus is
not a matter of so much difficulty. The people know the differences
well and can easily tell who are Hindus and who are not."

The Act, is, therefore, applicable to:

"(I) All Hindus including a Virashaiva, a Lingayat, a Brahmo, Prarthana C
Samajist and an Arya Samajist.
(2) Budhists

(3) Jains

(4) Sikhs" D
In this appeal the parties are admittedly tribals, the appellant being a
Oraon and the respondent a Santhal. In the absence of a notification or order
under Article 342 of the Constitution they are deemed to be Hindus. Even if
a notification is issued under the Constitution, the Act can be applied to
Scheduled Tribes as well by a further notification in terms of Sub-section (2) E
of Section 2 of the Act. It is not disputed before us that in the Constitution
(Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 as amended by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes Order (Amendment) Acts 63 of 1956, I08 of 1976, 18 of 1987 and 15
of 1990, both the tribes to which the parties belong are specified in Part XII.
It is conceded even by the appellant that "the parties to the petition are two F
Tribals, who otherwise profess Hinduism, but their marriage being out of the
purview of Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 in light of Section 2(2) of the Act, are
thus governed only by their Santai Customs and usage".

The appellant has, however, relied upon an alleged custom in the Tribe
which mandates monogamy as a rule. It is submitted that as the respondent G
has solemnised a second marriage during the subsistence of the first marriage
with the appellant, the second marriage being void, the respondent is liable
to be prosecuted for the offence punishable under Section 494 of the Indian
Penal Code.

No custom can create an offence as it essentially deals with the civil H
1032 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2001) 1 S.C.R.

A rights of the ·parties and no person can be convicted of any offence except
for violation of law in force at the time of commission of the act charged. ~
Custom may be proved for the determination of the civil rights of the parties
including their status, the establishment of which may be used for the purposes
of proving the ingredients of an offence which, under Section 3(37) of the
General Clauses Act, would mean an act or omission punishable by any law
B by way of fine or imprisonment. Article 20 of the Constitution, guaranteeing
protection in respect of convict~on of offence, provides that no person shall
be convicted of any offence except for violation of law in force at the time
of commission of the act charged as an offence. Law under Article 13 clause
(3) of the Constitution means the law made by the Legislature including
C intravires statutory, orders and orders made in exercise of powers conferred
by the statutory rules.

The expression "custom and usage" has been defined under Section
3(a) of the Act as:

D "the expression 'custom' and 'usage' and rule which, having been
continuously and uniformly observed for a long time, has obtained
the force of law among Hindus in any local area, tribe, community,
group or family:

Provided that the rule is certain and not unreasonable or opposed to
E public policy; and

Provided further that in the case. of a rule applicable only to a family
it has not been discontinued by the family."

For custom to have the colour of a rule or law, it is necessary for the
party claiming it to plead and thereafter prove that such custom is ancient,
F certain and reasonable. Custom being in derogation of the general rule is
required to be construed strictly. The party relying upon a custom is obliged
to establish it by clear and unambiguous evidence. In Ramalakshmi Ammal
v. Sivanatha Perumal Sethuraya, [14 Moo. Ind. App. 570 at p. 585] held:

"It is of the essence of special usage modifying the ordinary law of
G
succession that they should be ancient and invariable; and it is
further essential that they should be established to be so by clear and
unambiguous evidence. It is only by means of such evidence that the
courts can be assured of their existence, and that they possess the
conditions of antiquity and certainty on which alone their legal title
H to recognition depends."
DR. S.S. KUJUR v. D.C. HANSDAH [SETHI, J.] 1033

This Court in Mirza Raja Pushpavati Vljayaram Gajapathi Raj & Ors. A
v. Sri Pushavathi Visweswar Gajapathiraj Rajkumar of Vizianagram & Ors.,
AIR (1964) SC 118 again reiterated the same position of law regarding the
establishment of a custom upon which a party intends to rely.

The importance of the custom in relation to the applicability of the Act
has been acknowledged by the Legislature by incorporating Section 29 saving B
the validity of a marriage solemnised prior to the commencement of the Act
which may otherwise be invalid after passing of the Act. Nothing in the Act
can affect any right, recognised by custom or conferred by any said enactment
to obtain the dissolution of a Hindu Marriage whether solemnised before or
after the commencement of the Act even without the proof of the conditions C
precedent for declaring the marriage invalid as incorporated in Sections I 0 to
13 of the Act.

In this case the appellant filed a complaint in the Court of Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi stating therein that her marriage was
solemnised with the respondent in Delhi "according to Hindu rites and D
customs". Alleging that the respondent has solemnised another marriage with
the Accused No. 2, the complainant pleaded:

"That the accused No. I has not obtained any divorce thro' the Court
of Law upto this date and hence the action of the accused No. I is
illegal and contravene the provision of law as laid down under Section E
494 !PC."

Nowhere in the complaint the appellant has referred to any alleged
custom having the force of law which prohibits the solemnisation of second
marriage by the respondent and the consequences thereof. It may be
emphasised that mere pleading of a custom stressing for monogamy by itself F
was not sufficient unless it was further pleaded that second marriage was
void by reason of its taking place during the life of such husband or wife.
In order to prove the second marriage being void, the appellant was under
an obligation to show the existence of a custom which made such marriage
null, ineffectual, having no force of law or binding effect, incapable of being G
enforced in law or non-est. The fact of second marriage being void is a sine
Y qua non for the applicabi Iity of Section 494 IPC. It is settled position of law
the
that for fastening the criminal liability, the prosecution or complainant is
obliged to prove the existence of all the ingredients constituting the crime
which is normally and usually defined by a statute. The appellant herself
appears to be not clear in her stand inasmuch as in her statement in the court H
1034 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [200 I] I S.C.R.

A recorded on 24th October, 1992 she has stated that "I am a Hindu by religion".
The complaint was dismissed by the trial court holding, "there is no mention
of any such custom in the complaint nor there is evidence of such custom.
In the absence of pleadings and evidence refP.rence to Book alone is not
sufficient". The High Court vide the judgment :mpugned in this appeal held
B that in the absence of notification in tenns of sub-section (2) of Section 2 of
the Act no case for prosecution for the offence of bigamy was made out
against the respondent because the alleged second marriage cannot be tenned
to be void either under the Act or any alleged custom having the force of
law.

C In view of the fact that parties admittedly belong to the Scheduled
Tribes within the meaning of clause (25) of Article 366 of the Constitution as
notified by the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 as amended by
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Acts 63 of 1956,
108 of 1976, 18 of 1987 and 15 of 1990 passed in terms of Article 342 and in
the absence of specific pleadings, evidence and proof of the alleged custom
D making the second marriage void, no offence under Section 494 of the Indian
Penal Code can possibly be made out against the respondent. The Trial
Magistrate and the High Court have rightly dismissed the complaint of the
appellant.

Learned Counsel appearing for the appellant, however, submitted that
E even if the second marriage was not void for the purposes of attracting the
applicability of Section 494 and holding the respondent guilty of bigamy, the
appellant is entitled to maintenance, succession and other benefits on account
of tier being the legally wedded wife of the respondent. We cannot adjudicate
upon such a proclaimed right of the appellant. The appellant is at liberty to
p get her right established by way of civil proceedings in a competent court of
jurisdiction. If any such proceedings are initiated, the same would be decided
on their merits in accordance with the principles of pleadings and proof, not
being influenced by any of the observations made by the trial magistrate or
the High Court.

G There is no merit in this appeal which is accordingly dismissed.

B.S. Appeal dismissed.