In Sarla Mudgal v Union of India (1995), the Supreme Court held that
AOnly the wife can challenge such conversion
BA Hindu husband may freely convert to Islam to marry a second woman
CA Hindu husband who converts to Islam to marry a second wife without dissolving his first Hindu marriage commits BIGAMY under Section 494 IPC; the conversion does not legalise the second marriage
DConversion automatically dissolves prior marriage
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. A Hindu husband who converts to Islam to marry a second wife without dissolving his first Hindu marriage commits BIGAMY under Section 494 IPC; the conversion does not legalise the second marriage
Sarla Mudgal struck at the device of opportunistic conversion to circumvent monogamy under Hindu law. Lily Thomas v UoI (2000) reiterated the holding. The conversion does not, by itself, terminate the first marriage.
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