The Kerala High Court ruled that women are not required to provide strict proof when claiming that their gold ornaments were entrusted to in-laws at the time of marriage. A Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M.B. Snehalatha highlighted that such entrustment usually happens within the home, without receipts or witnesses. The court noted that newly married women cannot be expected to document these informal, domestic transactions. The case involved a widow whose husband died shortly after marriage. She alleged her in-laws took her gold for safekeeping but refused to return it. The court relied on bills and photos submitted by the petitioner. It recognized the challenges women face in proving such claims and emphasized a practical, probability-based approach instead of demanding strict criminal law standards.
The High Court observed that a bride cannot foresee legal issues and prepare proof in a household where she is expected to trust and remain silent. While the court excluded the brother-in-law due to his absence from the home, it ordered the mother-in-law to return the gold.
