Basi

cRul
est
opar
ti
ti
ont
hepr
oper
tyofHi
ndus
LL.
B.1st
year
,2sem.
(Hi
ndul
aw)

Sy
nopsi
s:

 I
ntr
oduct
ion

 Appl
icabi
li
ty

 Ty
pesofsuccessi
on

 Cl
assi
fi
cat
ionofhei
rs

 Concl
usi
on

I
ntr
oduct
ion
TheHi nduSuccessi onAct,1956isanActr elati
ngtothesuccessi onandinheri
tanceof
property
.Thi sActlaysdownacompr ehensiveanduniform system whichincorporates
both succession and inheri
tance.This Actal so deals wit
hi nt
estat
e orunwi l
l
ed
(t
estament ary)successi
on.Ther efor
e,t hi
sActcombi nesal ltheaspect sofHi ndu
succession and brings t
hem i ntoits ambit.Thi
s articl
e shallfurt
herexplor ethe
appli
cabili
ty,andthebasict ermsanddef i
niti
onsandt herulesf orsuccessi
oni nthe
caseofmal esandfemales.

Appl
icabi
li
ty
Sect
ion2oft
hisActl
aysdownt
heappl
i
cabi
l
ityoft
hisAct
.Thi
sActi
sappl
i
cabl
eto:

 Anyper
son who i
sHi
ndu byr
eli
gion oranyofi
tsf
ormsordev
elopment
s,
i
ncl
udi
ngaVi
rashai
va,
Lingay
at,
oraBr
ahmo,
Prar
thnaorAr
yaSamaj
fol
l
ower
.
 Anypersonwhoi
saBuddhi
st,
SikhorJai
nbyrel
igi
on.
 Anyotherper
sonwhoi
snotaMusl i
m,Chri
sti
an,Par
si,Jew,unl
essi
tispr
oved
thatsuchper
sonwoul
dnotbegov
ernedbyHi
ndul
aworcust
om.
 Th i
sActshal
lal
soext
endt
othewholeofI
ndi
a.

However
,thi
sSecti
on shal
lnotapplyto anyScheduled Tr
ibescover
ed undert
he
meani
ngofArti
cle366oftheConst
it
uti
on,unlessotherwi
sedi r
ect
edbytheCentral
Gover
nmentbyanoti
fi
cat
ioni
ntheOff
ici
alGazett
e.
Whoqual
if
iesasaHi
ndu,
Sikh,
Jai
norBuddhi
st?

 Al
egi
ti
mat
eori
l
legi
ti
mat
echi
l
d,wher
ebot
hofhi
spar
ent
sar
eei
therHi
ndus,
Buddhi
sts,
Jai
nsorSi
khs.
 Al
egi
ti
mat
eori
l
legi
ti
mat
echi
l
d,oneofwhosepar
ent
sisaHi
ndu,
Buddhi
st,
Jai
n
orSikhandi
sbroughtupasamemberoft hetr
ibe,
community,
grouporf
amil
yt o
whichsuchpar
entbelongs.
 Anypersonwhoi saconv ertorr
econv
erttotheHindu,Si
kh,Jai
norBuddhist
rel
i
gion.

Agnat
e
Sect
ion3(1)
(a)def
ines‘
agnate’
.Apersonissai
dtobeanagnat
eofanot
heri
fthet
wo
arer
elat
edbybloodoradopti
onwholl
ythroughmal
es.

Cognat
e
Secti
on3(1)
(c)defi
nesapersont
obea‘ cognat
e’ofanotherifsuchapersoni
srel
ated
totheot
herbybloodorthr
oughadopt
ionbutnotwholl
ythroughmal es.

Hei
r
Accordi
ngtoSect
ion3(1)
(f)
,‘hei
r’isanymal
eorf
emal
eper
son,whoi
sent
it
ledt
o
recei
vethepr
oper
tyoft
heintest
ate.

I
ntest
ate
Accor
dingt
oSecti
on3(
1)(
g),
aper
sonwhodi
eswi
thoutl
eav
ingbehi
ndawi
l
lisr
efer
red
toasi
ntest
ate.

Rel
ated
Accordi
ngtoSection3(1)
(i)
,‘related’meansther elat
ionshi
pbetweenkin(ki
nshi
p),
whichshoul
dbel egi
ti
mate.Il
legiti
matechil
drenshallbedeemedt oberel
atedt
otheir
motherandtooneanot her,andt heirl
egi
ti
mat edescendantsshal
lbedeemedt obe
rel
atedt
othem andtooneanot her.

Whi
chpr
oper
ti
esdoest
hisActnotappl
yto?
Sect
ion5l
aysdownt
hepr
oper
ti
est
hatt
hisActdoesnotappl
yto:

 Any pr
oper
ty whose successi
on comes undert
he r
egul
ati
on oft
heI
ndi
an
Successi
onAct,
1925byr
easonsoftheprov
isi
onunderSect
ion21oft
heSpeci
al
Marri
age Act
,1954.Secti
on 21 oft he Speci
alMarri
age Actstat
es t
hat
 successi ontot hepr opertyofanyper sonwhosemar ri
agei ssolemnizedunder
thi
sActandt hepr opertyoftheissueofsuchmar r
iageshallbegov ernedbythe
Special Marri
ageAct .
 Anyest ateorpr opertywhi chgoest ot hesingl
ehei rthrought hetermsofany
agreementorcov enantf ormedbet weent heRulerofanI ndianStateandt he
Gov ernment or t hrough any enact ment f ormed and passed bef or
et he
commencementoft hisAct .
 TheVal li
ammaThampur anKov il
agam Est ateandt hePal aceFundundert he
admi nistr
ati
onoft hePal aceAdmi ni
strati
onBoar dduet ot hepower sconfer
red
undert he Proclamat i
on (IX of1124) ,dat ed 29th June 1949,gi ven bythe
Mahar ajaofCochi n.

Ty
pesofsuccessi
on
Test
ament
arySuccessi
on
Whent hesuccessi onoft hepr opertyi sgov ernedbyat est
amentorawi l
l
,t henitis
ref
err
edt oast estamentarysuccessi on.UnderHi ndulaw,aHindumaleorf emalecan
maket hewi l
lfort heproper t
y,incl
udi ngt hatofashar eintheundividedMitakshar
a
copar
cenaryproper ty
,infavourofany one.Thi sshoul
dbev al
idandlegall
yenforceabl
e.
Thedistr
ibuti
onwi l
lbeundert hepr ov i
sionsoft hewi l
landnotthroughthel awsof
i
nheri
tance.Wher et hewi l
lisnotv ali
d,ornotl egal
lyenfor
ceabl
e,thenproper t
ycan
devol
vethrought helawofi nheri
tance.

I
ntest
ateSuccessi
on
I
ntest
atehasalr
eadybeendefi
nedaboveassomeonewhodiesl
eavi
ngbehindnowi
l
lor
t
estament.Whensuchasituat
ionhappens,t
henthi
spr
oper
tywi
llbedi
str
ibut
edamong
t
helegalhei
rsbyfol
l
owingthelawsofinher
it
ance.

Rul
esf
orowner
shi
pint
hecaseofmal
es
Secti
on8l aysdownt hegener alrulesfort
hesuccessioninthecaseofmal es.Sect i
on8
appli
esincaseswher esuccessi onopensaf t
erthecommencementoft heAct .Itisnot
necessarythatthedeathoft hemal eHi ndu,whosepr opert
yhast obedev olvedby
i
nherit
ance,shouldtakepl aceaf terthecommencementoft hi
sAct.Forexampl e:ifa
fat
her,duri
nghisli
fet
ime,set tl
eshi spropert
yinfavourofhiswifeandafterthedeat hof
hiswife,wishesthatitshoul dpasst ohisdaughter,andt hedaught
erdi esaf terthe
commencementoft hi
sAct ,thent hesuccessionwi l
lopenandt hepr opertywoul d
devol
veaccor di
ngtoSection8.

Cl
assi
fi
cat
ionofhei
rs
Hei
rsar
ecl
assi
fi
edi
ntof
ourcat
egor
ies:

 Cl
assI
 Cl
assI
I
  Cl
assI
II(
Agnat
es)
 Cl
assI
V(Cognates)

Cl
assIhei
rs

 Sons
 Daught
ers
 Widows
 Mother
s
 Sonsofapredeceasedson
 Widowsofapredeceasedson
 Sonofapredeceasedsonofapredeceasedson
 Widowsofapredeceasedsonofapredeceasedson
 Daught
erofapredeceasedson
 Daught
erofapredeceaseddaught
er
 Daught
erofapredeceasedsonofapredeceasedson
 Sonofapredeceaseddaught
er
 Daught
erofapredeceaseddaught
erofapr edeceaseddaught
er
 Sonofapredeceaseddaught
er
 Sonofapredeceaseddaught
erofapredeceaseddaughter
 Daught
erofapredeceaseddaught
erofapr edeceasedson
 Daught
erofapredeceasedsonofapredeceaseddaughter

Al
lofthem wil
linher
itsi
multaneouslyandev eni fanyofthem ispr esent,thenthe
pr
oper
tywil
lnotgot otheClassI Iheir
s.AllClassIheirshaveabsoluter i
ghtsinthe
pr
oper
tyandtheshareofaClassIhei risseparate,andnopersoncancl aim ari
ghtby
bi
rt
hinthi
sinheri
tedproper
ty.ACl assIhei rcannotbedivestedofhi s/herproper
ty,
ev
enbyremarri
ageorconver
sionetc.

Unti
ltheHinduSuccession(Amendment
)Act,2005,t
heCl assIheirsconsist
edof
twel
veheir
s,ei
ghtofwhichwerefemal
esandf
ourweremales,butaf
ter2005,
fournew
hei
rswereadded,ofwhi
chelevenar
efemal
eandfi
vearemale.

Nowwewi l
lobser
vewhocl
assi
fi
esasson,
mot
her
,daught
erorwi
dowandwhatki
ndof
i
nter
est
stheyhaveint
hepr
oper
ty.

Son
Theexpr ession’ son’canincludebothanat ur
albornsonoradopt edsonbutdoesnot
i
ncludeast epsonori l
legi
ti
mat echil
d.InKanagaval
liv.Saroj
aAI R2002Mad73,t he
appellant
swer et helegalheirofoneNat araj
an.Natar
ajanwasear li
ermar ri
edtothe
fi
rstrespondent ,thesecondr espondentwasthesonandt hethir
dr espondentwasthe
mot herofNat arajan.Thef i
rstrespondentobtai
nedadecr eeofr esti
tut
ionofconjugal
ri
ghtsbutst il
lnor euni
onoccur redbetweenthem.Thef i
rstappel l
antclai
medt ohave
marr i
edNat araj
ani n1976andt heappell
ants2to5wer ebornt hr
ought hem.Nataraj
an
di
edaf terwards.Thesui twasf il
edfordecl arati
ont hattheappel l
antsweret helegal
hei
rsoft hesaidNat araj
anal ongwi t
hr espondents1t o3,andt heywer eent
it
ledtot he
amount sduef rom t heCorpor ati
onwher eNat arajanwor ked.TheCour thel
dthatason
bornofav oi
dorv oidablemar r
iagethatisdeclaredt obeannul l
edbyt heCourt,wi
llbea
l
egiti
mat echildandwoul dt husi nheri
tthepr oper t
yofhi sfather.Asonhasabsol ute
i
nterestinthepr opertyandhissoncannotcl aim birt
hrightinit
.Therefor
e,‘
son’doesnot
i
ncludegr andson, butdoesincl udeapost humousson.

Daught
er
Thet er
m‘daughter’incl
udesanat uraloradopt
eddaughter,butnotast epdaught
eror
i
llegi
ti
matedaughter.Thedaught erofav oidorvoi
dablemarri
ageannulledbyt heCour
t
wouldbealegit
imat edaughterandt huswouldbeeligi
blet
oinheri
tthefather’
sproper
ty.
Thedaughter
’smar it
alstatus,
financialposi
ti
onetcisofnoconsiderat
ion.Theshareof
thedaught
erisequal tothatoftheson.

Wi
dow
Thewi dowgetsashar et hati
sequalt othatoftheson.Ift
hereexistsmor et
hanone
widow,theycollect
ivelyt akeoneshar ethati
sequaltot heson’sshar eanddivi
deit
equall
yamongt hemselv es.Thiswidow shouldhavebeenofav al
idmar ri
age.Inthe
caseofRamkal iv.Mahi l
aShy amwat iAIR2000MP288,i twasheldt hatawomanwho
wasinav oidableorv oidmar r
iage,andthatmarri
agewasnul l
i
fiedbyt heCourtonthe
deathoft hehusband,woul dnotbecal l
edhiswidow andwoul dnothav er i
ghtsto
succeedtohisproperty.

Ift
hewidowofapredeceasedson,widowofapredeceasedsonofapr
edeceasedson
orthewi
dowofabrotherhasremarr
ied,t
hensheshallnotbegi
vent
het
erm of‘wi
dow’
,
andwil
lnothav
ethei
nherit
ance.

Cl
assI
Ihei
rs
TheCl
assI
Ihei
rsar
ecat
egor
izedandar
egi
vent
hepr
oper
tyi
nthef
oll
owi
ngor
der
:

 Father
 Son’sDaught er’
sson
 Son’sdaughter ’
sdaught er
 Brother
 Sist
er
 Daughter’
sson’ sson,daught er
’sson’
sdaughter,daught
er’
sdaught
er’
sson,
daughter’
sdaught er’sdaughter
 Brother
’sson, si
ster’sson,brot
her’
sdaught
er,
sist
er’
sdaughter
 Father’
sfather,father’
smot her
 Father’
swidow, brother’swidow
 Father’
sbrother,father’
ssister
  Mot
her
’sfather,
mot her’
smother
 Mot
her
’sbrother,mother’
ssi
ster

Ifnoonef rom theCl assIhei rst akest hepr operty,thenCl assIIheirsfallinli

net oget
thepr operty.InKalyanKumarBhat t
achar jeev.Pr ati
bhaChakr abortyAIR2010( NOC)
646( Gau) ,thepropertyf elli
ntot heshar eoft hedef endantbr othernamedRanj it
,who
wasunmar ri
ed.Howev er,hebecamet racelessandt hepropertywasdi vi
dedamongst
twoot herbr ot
hersinequalshar es.Thepl ainti
ff’
sbr othercall
edJagadi shthenexecut ed
awi l
linf avourofbot ht heplaint i
ffanddi edafterwar ds.Howev er,thedef endantsthen
asked t hem t ov acatet he l
and,cont ending thatinteral i
athatt he land has been
purchasedi nthenameoft hreebr others;namel yJagadi sh,Ranj i
tandKal yan,the
defendantnumber1.I twashel dt hatwhenaHi ndumal eisunmar r
iedandhedi es,and
i
snotsur viv
edbyaCl assIhei r,theCl assI Iheir
swoul dgett hepr operty
.

Si
mil
arl
y,wheninheir
si nClassIIIandI
Var
ether
e,t
hepr
oper
tywoul
donl
ygot
othem i
f
noonefr
om theClassIIispresent.

Cl
assI
IIhei
rs
Thi
sconsist
softheagnatesofthedeceased.Cl
assII
Ihei
rsonl
yinher
itt
hepr
oper
ty
whennoneformt
heearl
iercl
assesget
stheproper
ty.

Anagnatei
sapersonwhoisr
elat
edt
othei
ntest
ateonl
ythr
oughmal
erel
ati
ves.An
agnat
ecanbeamaleoraf
emal
e.

Rul
esofpr
efer
enceamongagnat
es

 Eachgener at
ionisref
erredt
oasadegr ee.Thefir
stdegreei si
ntest
ate.
 Degreesofascentmeanancest ralorupwar dsdi
recti
ons.
 Degreesofdescentmeansi nthedescendant sordownwar dsdirect
ion.
 Wher e an agnate has bot
h ascentand descentdegr ees,each has t
o be
consideredseparat
ely.
 Ana gnat ehavi
ngdescentdegr eewillbepr ef
erredovert heonehav i
ngascent
degree.
 Wh ent woagnat eshav eascentanddescentdegr ees,theonehav ingl
esser
numberofascentdegr eeswil
lbepr ef
erred.

Cl
assI
Vhei
rs
A cognate(ClassIV)issomeonewhowasr elat
edtothei nt
estat
ethr
oughmi xed
rel
ati
ves,i
ntermsofsex.Forexample,
ani
ntest
ate’
spat
ernalaunt
’ssoni
shiscognate,
buthispat
ernaluncl
e’
sdaughterwi
l
lbeanagnate.

Ther
efor
e,t
osum upi
tcanbesai
dthatt
hepr
oper
tyoft
heHi
ndumal
edev
olv
esi
nthe
f
oll
owi
ngmanner
:

 Fi
rst,t
ot heheir
sinClassI.
 Second,ifther
eexistsnoheirofCl
assI,thenitgoestoClassIIhei
rs.
 Thir
d,ifnonefrom theCl
assIorIIexi
sts,thenitgoestotheagnates(Cl
assI
II
).
 Fourt
h,i fno onef rom theearli
erthreecl assesexist
s,then itgoestothe
cognates(ClassIV).

Rul
esf
orowner
shi
pint
hecaseoff
emal
es
Witht hecomi ngofTheHinduSuccessionAct,1956,womenaregr
antedowner shi
pof
property,whetheritwasacqui
redbeforeorafterthecommencementoft heAct,thus
abolishing t
heir‘l
imit
ed owner’st
atus.Buti twas onlyinthe Hindu Succession
(Amendment )Act,
2005thati
twasdecidedthatdaughter
swoul
dbeent i
tl
edtoanequal
sharei nthepropert
yastheson.Theref
ore,t
he2005Amendmentser v
esasadef ender
forfemal eri
ghts.

Thepr
oper
tyi
ncaseofaf
emal
eHi
ndui
ntest
atedy
ingwi
l
ldev
olv
ethr
ough:

 Fi
rst
ly,
thr
ought
hesonsanddaught
ers,
whi
chwoul
dal
soi
ncl
udet
hechi
l
drenof
apredeceasedsonorapr edeceaseddaught
er)andt
hehusband.
 Secondly
, ontheheirsofthehusband.
 Thir
d,upont hemot herorthefat
her.
 Fourt
h,ont hefather’
sheir
s.
 Fi
fth,ontheheirsofthemot her.

Inthecaseofanyproper
tybeinginheri
tedbyaf emal eHindubyherfatherormother
andthereisnosonordaughterofthedeceased(includi
ngachildofpredeceasedson
ordaughter
),t
heni
tshal
ldevolv
einfavouroftheheirsofthefat
her.

Simil
arl
y,inthecaseofanyproper
tybei
nginheri
tedbyafemal eHi
ndubyherhusband
orherfatherinl
aw,andther
eisnosonordaughterofthedeceased(i
ncl
udi
ngthechil
d
ofapr edeceased son ordaught
er)
,itshalldevol
veinf avouroftheheir
soft he
husband.

Concl
usi
on
Thisar t
icleexploredsomebasi ct er
msanddef initi
onsusedi ntheHi nduSuccession
Act,1956.Ther ear ef
ourclassesofhei r
st owhichpr opert
ydev ol
vesincasei faHindu
diesleavingbehi ndawill
,inwhi chcasehebecomesi ntestate.Thispropertydev
olves
throught hesecl
asses.Ifnoonef r
om theearl
ierclassispr esent,t
henitdev ol
vestothe
nextclassandsoon.Last l
y,thisarti
clealsoexploredthe2005Amendmentt othi
sAct,
whi chbroughtmuchneededpr otecti
ontowomenr ightsregardingproperty
.
Questi
on 1.
Explai
nthe basi
crul
es t
o di
vi
sion ofHi
ndu pr
oper
ty underHi
ndu
successi
onAct1956.