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Home Landmark Judgments Equality & Social Justice
2020

Vineeta Sharma v. Rakesh Sharma

(2020) 9 SCC 1 · 3-judge bench

The Facts

A long-running dispute over whether a daughter's equal coparcenary (equal-inheritance) right under the 2005 Hindu Succession Amendment applied only if her father was still alive when the amendment came into force in 2005, or applied regardless.

The Holding

The Court held a daughter becomes a coparcener by birth, with the same rights as a son, regardless of whether her father was alive on the 2005 amendment's commencement date — settling years of conflicting High Court rulings on this exact question.

Removed a major loophole that had let families argue daughters had no equal claim simply because their father died before 2005 — the ruling our own Property & Inheritance rights content relies on.

This is a plain-English summary, not verbatim judgment text. Adhikar is an independent citizen-awareness platform, not a Government of India website. Always verify against the full judgment (indiankanoon.org, sci.gov.in) or a qualified advocate before relying on this for an actual legal situation.