Topic

Oraon tribal law

1 articleLatest July 2026
Section 48 Evidence Act | Strict Proof of Custom Mandatory; Agnatic Succession Prevails Over Concurrent Findings : SC
Case Law Analysis
|Supreme Court of India

Section 48 Evidence Act | Strict Proof of Custom Mandatory; Agnatic Succession Prevails Over Concurrent Findings : SC

The Supreme Court ruled that customary law, particularly agnatic succession among Oraon tribes, must be strictly proved under Section 48 of the Evidence Act. The judgment sets aside concurrent lower court findings, reinforcing that daughters have no inheritance rights under the custom and the nearest male agnate inherits in the absence of direct heirs. This ruling clarifies the burden of proof in tribal property disputes and limits appellate interference under Article 136.