Section 20 Hindu Marriage Act 1955: Contents and Verification of Petitions
Section 20 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 lays down what a petition under the Act must contain and how the statements in the petition must be verified. It is a procedural provision that applies to petitions presented under the Act, subject to the specific exception concerning collusion in a petition under Section 11.
Updated: 27 September 2026
What Section 20 requires
Section 20 contains two connected requirements. First, a petition must state the facts on which the claim for relief is based as distinctly as the nature of the case permits. Second, the statements made in the petition must be properly verified.
Section 20 - Contents and verification of petitions
Sub-section (1): Every petition presented under the Hindu Marriage Act must state, as distinctly as the nature of the case permits, the facts on which the claim to relief is founded. Except in a petition under Section 11, the petition must also state that there is no collusion between the petitioner and the other party to the marriage.
Sub-section (2): The statements in every petition under the Act must be verified by the petitioner or another competent person in the manner required by law for verification of plaints. At the hearing, those statements may be referred to as evidence.
The official text of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 is available from India Code.
Meaning of the important requirements
1. Facts supporting the relief must be stated clearly
A matrimonial petition should set out the material facts forming the basis of the relief claimed. The requirement is not satisfied merely by naming a statutory ground. The petition should state the relevant factual circumstances with sufficient clarity for the court and the opposite party to understand the case being made.
2. Statement that there is no collusion
Section 20(1) ordinarily requires a statement that there is no collusion between the petitioner and the other party to the marriage. The statute expressly excludes a petition under Section 11, dealing with void marriages, from this particular requirement.
3. Verification of the petition
Section 20(2) connects verification of a matrimonial petition with the law governing verification of plaints. Section 21 of the Hindu Marriage Act further provides that, subject to the Act and applicable High Court rules, proceedings under the Act are regulated as far as may be by the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
Under Order VI Rule 15 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, a pleading is generally verified by the party, one of the parties, or another person shown to the satisfaction of the court to be acquainted with the facts. The verifier identifies which numbered paragraphs are based on personal knowledge and which are based on information believed to be true, signs the verification, and states the date and place of signing. Rule 15 also requires an affidavit in support of the pleading.
Can statements in the petition be used at the hearing?
Yes. Section 20(2) expressly provides that the statements contained in a petition may, at the hearing, be referred to as evidence. This makes accurate pleading and proper verification particularly important. The provision does not remove the court's power to require proof in accordance with the applicable law and procedure.
Checklist for a petition under Section 20
- State the material facts supporting the matrimonial relief claimed.
- Identify the relevant relief and statutory provision under the Hindu Marriage Act.
- Include the statutory no-collusion statement unless the petition is under Section 11.
- Verify the petition in the manner required for verification of pleadings.
- Identify paragraphs based on personal knowledge and those based on information believed to be true.
- State the place and date of verification and ensure that the verification is signed.
- Comply with the affidavit requirement and applicable High Court or Family Court rules.
Related provisions
Section 20 should be read with Section 19 on the court in which a petition is to be presented, Section 21 on application of the Code of Civil Procedure, and Section 23 concerning decrees in proceedings under the Act.