Mumbai: The Goan controversy over Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt's wedding with Manyata may have left one wondering why did the two choose to register their marriage in the state of Goa in the first place.

While it's not clear if the two actually wanted to avoid legal hassles from Mayanta's ex-husband in Mumbai, one reason could be the huge benefits that Goan laws bestow on the woman if a marriage is registered there.

Goa's marriage laws automatically make the wife a co-owner of 50 per cent of her husband's property. The Goan laws, as enshrined in a civil code framed by the erstwhile Portuguese rulers, provide for the safeguard and equal rights for spouses.

Which means under the law, the wife automatically becomes a co-owner of half of her new husband's property and if the husband dies without a will, the wife can end up with three-fourths of her husband's wealth.

But that was not to be as the marriage stands unregistered and invalid as on date, pending a hearing in the case of an alleged fraud in the residence certificate that Manyata had submitted at the sub-registrar's office for the purpose of registration of the marriage.

Manyata is yet to respond to the show-cause notice, asking why her residence certificate can't be cancelled on grounds of fraud. The mamlatdar has fixed March 7 as the date for hearing the issue.