SC backs belief that women are better custodians | India News

New Delhi: Supreme Court has rescued four women, who married four brothers, from the rigours of a more than two-decade old criminal case lodged against them by one of the brothers who was incensed by his father’s decision to bequeath the properties to them fearing that the alcoholic son might fritter away the assets.Virtually endorsing the societal belief to entrust landed and residential properties to the women of the house to protect it from being pawned away by alcoholic male members, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan quashed the case accusing the women of forging the old man’s will to usurp the property.One Ram Baksh Dubey, fearing his estate getting wasted by the alcoholic obsessions of his third son Ashish Kumar, executed an unregistered will on Dec 23, 1993, bequeathing all his moveable and immoveable properties in the name of his four daughters-in-law.Dubey died on Jan 3, 1994. Three months later Ashish executed a registered sale deed for his share in his father’s property in favour of another person. Unaware of this sale, the four women applied for mutation of the land as per the will and revenue authority made necessary changes in the revenue records in Sept 1994.When the purchaser of Ashish’s share started constructing on the land, the women approached the civil court, which restrained him. The purchaser’s claim based on the sale deed was rejected. He then in league with Ashish filed a criminal complaint case in court accusing the women of creating a forged will.