New Delhi — In a development with far-reaching legal and societal implications, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday agreed to examine whether a Muslim individual can voluntarily opt to be governed by Indian civil succession laws instead of Islamic personal law (Shariat) for matters related to inheritance—without renouncing their faith.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Karol issued notices to the Union Government and the Kerala state government, seeking their response to a petition filed by Naushad K.K., a resident of Thrissur district in Kerala.
The court also directed that Naushad’s petition be clubbed with two other similar matters currently pending before the apex court, allowing for a consolidated hearing on the legal question.
This legal inquiry was first prompted by a petition filed in April 2023 by Safiya P.M., a resident of Alappuzha and General Secretary of the 'Ex-Muslims of Kerala' group. Safiya, who identifies as a non-believing Muslim, had petitioned the court seeking the right to administer her ancestral property under the Indian Succession Act instead of being bound by Muslim personal law.
Another related case, filed in 2016 by the Quran Sunnat Society, is also pending and will now be heard alongside the other two petitions.
The consolidated hearing is expected to address significant questions surrounding religious identity, personal liberty, and the scope of secular legal frameworks in matters of personal law.
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