Skip to main content

BIGAMY

 BIGAMY 

The previous definition of bigamy consisted of these stated words “having a husband or wife”, but these words become vague once the first marriage ceases to be legal after separation.

Thus the definition of bigamy under Section 494 of IPC was suggested to be redrafted.

According to Section 5 of the Hindu Marriage Act,1995 the conditions necessary at the time of marriage is that both the partners getting married should not be having a living spouse.

But there is an exception provided by Section 494 of IPC, it states that either of the partners can contract a second marriage after the long absence of her partner for a period of seven years.


Section 494

This Section states that any person who is already having a husband or wife and marries another person in existence of previous spouse, then the person shall be punished with imprisonment which shall extend to seven years and would be liable to fine.

But a person  can not be convicted under this section when the marriage has already been declared void by the court.

When one of the spouses is missing for a period of seven years and there is no information about his existence then the other partner can contract another marriage. But the spouse needs to open the facts before the person whom they are getting married.


Essentials of Section 494 of IPC

  • The first marriage should be according to the law i.e, it should be legal

  • Second marriage should have taken place

  • The first marriage should be existing

  • The spouse must be alive

  • Both marriages should be valid


Classification of offence

  • It is a non-cognizable offence.

  • It is a bailable offence


Who can file a complaint


Any person who has been deceived by their partner can file the complaint.

  • In the case of a wife, her father, mother, brother, sister or any person related to her by blood, with the leave of the court can file a complaint on her behalf.

  • In the case of the husband, only he is permitted to file the complaint.


Hindu Marriage Act, 1955


Section 17. Punishment of bigamy.—Any marriage between two Hindus (including Buddhist, Jaina or Sikh) solemnized after the commencement of this Act is void if at the date of such marriage either party had a husband or wife living; and the provisions of Sections 494 and 495 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) shall apply accordingly.


Cases


Ingredients of offence of Bigamy


For an offence of bigamy to have been committed the following ingredients are required (i) the accused must have contracted first marriage (ii) he/she must have married again (iii) the first marriage must be subsisting (that is no divorce has taken place) (iv) the first spouse must be living, Pashaura Singh v. State of Punjab, (2010) 11 SCC 749


Bigamy 

By Shambhavi 

VIP - AUTHORS 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Concept of constitutionalism

  Concept of constitutionalism Who Started Constitutionalism? John Locke - The English Bill of Rights is a foundational constitutional document that helped inspire the American Bill of Rights. Political theorist  John Locke  played a huge role in cementing the philosophy of constitutionalism.  Constitution is a written law which describes the structure of Government, the rules according to which the Govt. must work and the boundaries within which the Govt. must work. Constitutionalism   can be defined as the doctrine that governs the legitimacy of government action, and it implies something far more important than the idea of legality that requires official conduct to be in accordance with pre-fixed legal rules. Constitution constitution is the document that contains the basic and fundamental law of the nation, setting out the organization of the government and the principles of the society. Basic norm (or law) of the state; System of integration and organi...
Post a Comment
Read more

business tips

1. Have a clear vision for your business and strive to achieve it. 2. Hire great people and give them ownership in the company. 3. Provide excellent customer service. 4. Establish yourself as an expert in your field. 5. Develop relationships with key suppliers, customers, and partners. 6. Keep track of your finances and invest in marketing and innovation. 7. Utilize digital platforms to reach a larger audience. 8. Take calculated risks and back yourself. 9. Continuously strive to improve your products and services. 10. Make customer satisfaction your priority.
Post a Comment
Read more

Effects of Non-Registration

 Effects of Non-Registration The Companies Act, 2013 evidently highlights that the main essential for any organization to turn into a company is to get itself registered. A company cannot come into existence until it gets registered. But no such obligation has been imposed for firms by the Indian Partnership Act, 1932. If a firm is not registered it does not cease to be called as a firm, it still exists in the eyes law. Certainly, such a big advantage is not absolute but is subjected to a lot of limitations which we will study further. Non-registration of a firm simply means that the business skips the formalities of incorporation and ceases to exist in the eyes of the law. section 58 of the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 deals with the procedure of incorporation. Likewise, the meaning of non-registration is the exact opposite of registration, meaning when a firm does not go through the procedure of incorporation or start carrying on activities without getting registered. Effects of ...
Post a Comment
Read more