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Supreme Court rejects Anita Advani’s bid to recognize marriage

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

The Supreme Court dismissed Anita Advani’s plea to recognize her relationship with late actor Rajesh Khanna as a marriage.
Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale called the case “luxury litigation”.
The court refused to overturn the Bombay High Court’s April 1, 2026 decision rejecting Advani’s suit.
The High Court noted Rajesh Khanna’s marriage to Dimple Kapadia remained subsisting and cited D. Velusamy v. D. Patchaiammal.
Advani filed a 2015 suit against Dimple Kapadia, daughters Twinkle and Rinke Khanna, and son-in-law Rajiv Bhatia.

History

In 2018 Supreme Court, in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, read down Section 377, decriminalising consensual same-sex relations with a five-judge verdict. The 2022 Deepika Singh v. CAT decision widened rights, while Supriyo v. Union of India (2023) urged Parliament to legislate. In 2026 Court denied Anita Advani’s marriage claim, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta called the 2018 ruling “not a good law.”

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In 2018 Supreme Court, in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, read down Section 377, decriminalising consensual same-sex relations with a five-judge verdict. The 2022 Deepika Singh v. CAT decision widened rights, while Supriyo v. Union of India (2023) urged Parliament to legislate. In 2026 Court denied Anita Advani’s marriage claim, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta called the 2018 ruling “not a good law.”

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