In Brief
This case concerns the validity of an alleged adoption of a married man into a Jain family. The appellant claimed he was adopted in 1973 by his paternal uncle and cited a Jain custom permitting the adoption of married men. The High Court had rejected the adoption claim, finding the surrounding circumstances suspicious. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding that while custom may permit such adoptions, the appellant failed to prove the existence of such a custom as per Section 3(a) of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956. The Court found material contradictions in the witness testimony and noted that the appellant did not even plead the custom in his written statement. The adoption claim, being a serious matter affecting succession, required cogent, consistent evidence—which was absent.
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