After commencement of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, a de facto guardian:

Section 11 of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 provides that after its commencement no person is entitled to dispose of or deal with a minor's property "merely on the ground of his or her being the de facto guardian". The older rule that a de facto manager could bind the minor's property for necessity or benefit no longer applies, and the consent of relatives does not supply the missing authority.