law: Special Marriage Act, 1954 
  26. Legitimacy of children of void and voidable marriages
  
  (1) Notwithstanding
  
  that a marriage is null and void under section 24, any child of such marriage
  
  who would have been legitimate if the marriage had been valid, shall be
  
  legitimate, whether such child is born before or after the commencement of the
  
  Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act, 1976, and whether or not a decree of nullity is
  
  granted in respect of that marriage under this Act and whether or not the
  
  marriage is held to be void otherwise than on a petition under this Act.
  (2) Where a decree of
  
  nullity is granted in respect of a voidable marriage under section 25, any
  
  child begotten or conceived before the decree is made, who would have been the
  
  legitimate child of the parties to the marriage if at the date of the decree it
  
  has been dissolved instead of being annulled, shall be deemed to be their
  
  legitimate child notwithstanding the decree of nullity.
  (3) Nothing contained
  
  in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be construed as conferring upon any
  
  child of a marriage which is null and void or which is annulled by a decree of
  
  nullity under section 25, any rights in or to the property of any person, other
  
  than the parents, in any case where, but for the passing of this Act, such
  
  child would have been incapable of possessing or acquiring any such rights by
  
  reason of his snot being the legitimate child of his parents.]