Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India
AIR 1995 SC 1531 · Supreme Court of India
A Hindu husband cannot, by converting to Islam, marry a second wife during the subsistence of the first marriage; the first marriage remains valid.
Unit V · Family Law – II (Muslim Law and Other Personal Laws)
Special Marriage Act, 1954
Study aid only. Confirm statute numbers with the current bare Act and the official OU LL.B. (3-YDC) 2024–25 syllabus PDF.
Statute sections
| Act / instrument | Section | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Special Marriage Act, 1954 | 4 | Conditions relating to solemnization of special marriages |
| Special Marriage Act, 1954 | 15–16 | Registration of marriages celebrated in other forms |
| Special Marriage Act, 1954 | 24–28 | Void and voidable marriages; divorce and mutual consent |
Landmark cases
Lily Thomas v. Union of India
(2000) 6 SCC 224 · Supreme Court of India
A second marriage after conversion, while the first marriage subsists, is void and may attract bigamy; conversion is not a device to defeat monogamy.