Marital rape exception in India and Supreme Court legal status 2026

The Marital Rape Exception Case: Where It Actually Stands Right Now

By Advocate Karan Dua | Vintage Litigation, New Delhi | Published: August 2026 The marital rape exception in India remains one of the most significant unresolved constitutional questions in Indian family and criminal law. The Supreme Court is considering whether the legal exception for sexual intercourse between a husband and his adult wife should continue, […]
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Dowry Prohibition Officer and dowry complaint process in India

The Dowry Prohibition Officer: A Real Legal Tool Almost Nobody Knows Exists

By Advocate Karan Dua | Vintage Litigation, New Delhi | Published: August 2026 Quick question: do you know your district has an officer whose entire job is preventing dowry-related harm? Most people don’t. We’ve been practising matrimonial law for years and we still meet clients — educated, resourceful, otherwise well-informed people — who’ve never heard […]
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Section 498A and live-in relationships — Supreme Court 2026 ruling explained

Can You Be Booked Under 498A If You’re Not Even Married?

By Advocate Karan Dua | Vintage Litigation, New Delhi | Published: August 2026 Two weeks ago, most people would’ve told you the answer was a flat no. Section 498A is about husbands and wives — that’s what the section says, that’s how it’s always been read, end of story. The Supreme Court just changed that […]
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Denial of intimacy as grounds for divorce in India

Is Denying Your Spouse Intimacy Grounds for Divorce?

By Advocate Karan Dua | Vintage Litigation, New Delhi | Published: August 2026 We get asked, carefully and often somewhat hesitantly, whether a marriage where physical intimacy has effectively ended — sometimes for years — gives either spouse a real legal ground to seek divorce. In June 2026, the Supreme Court answered this more directly […]
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Supreme Court rules a wife's career alone is not cruelty in divorce cases under the Hindu Marriage Act.

Can Your Wife’s Career Be Called “Cruelty” in a Divorce? 

By Advocate Karan Dua | Vintage Litigation, New Delhi | Published: August 2026 A version of this question comes up in almost every consultation where a husband is building a cruelty or desertion case: “She put her career first — doesn’t that count against her?” In May 2026, the Supreme Court answered this more directly […]
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UCC and live-in relationships in India 2026 legal guide banner featuring a gavel, Uniform Civil Code book, and couple figures representing live-in relationship laws.

UCC and Live-In Relationships: Complete Legal Guide 2026

By Advocate Karan Dua | Vintage Litigation, New Delhi | Published: July 2026 Two years ago, a live-in relationship in India was, legally speaking, a private matter. Courts recognised it, gave it some protection under the Domestic Violence Act, and largely left it alone otherwise. That has changed faster than most people realise. Uttarakhand became […]
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Infographic explaining the mutual divorce timeline in India with and without a cooling-off period waiver under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act.

How Long Does Mutual Divorce Take in India? Real Timeline (2026)

By Advocate Karan Dua | Vintage Litigation, New Delhi | Published: July 2026 When both of you have decided — really decided — the last thing you want is to wait eighteen months for a piece of paper to say so officially. This is the most common frustration I hear from clients who come in […]
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