Holding

An undivided interest in the property of a Hindu belonging to an Aliyasantana Kutumba or Kavaru, when allotted jointly, devolves by intestate succession under the Hindu Succession Act, overriding the Aliyasantana Act.

Summary

The case concerned a family governed by the Madras Aliyasantana Act who filed a suit for partition of a Kutumba. Defendants 22, 23 and 24, all male Nissanthathi Kavarus, were allotted a joint share of the property. After the deaths of defendants 23 and 24, their representatives claimed a one‑third share of the joint allotment. The issue was whether this joint share represented an undivided interest that devolved under the Hindu Succession Act (HSA) or remained a life‑interest under the Aliyasantana Act. The Supreme Court held that Section 4 of the HSA overrides inconsistent provisions of the Aliyasantana Act, and that the Explanation to Section 7(2) of the HSA deems the undivided interest to be a share that would have fallen on a per‑capita partition and therefore devolves by intestate succession under the HSA. Consequently, the property passed to the heirs of each deceased defendant, not back to the Kutumba. The appeal was dismissed, affirming the High Court’s decision.

Issues considered

Whether the joint share allotted to defendants 22‑24 constitutes an undivided interest that devolves under the Hindu Succession Act or remains a life‑interest under the Madras Aliyasantana Act.
Whether Section 4 of the Hindu Succession Act overrides the provisions of the Madras Aliyasantana Act concerning devolution of property.
Whether the Explanation to Section 7(2) of the Hindu Succession Act applies to Nissanthathi Kavarus in a partition suit.
Whether the property reverts to the Kutumba under Section 36(5) of the Aliyasantana Act or passes to the heirs under the Hindu Succession Act.

Legislation cited

Hindu Succession Act, 1956s. 10, s. 15, s. 17, s. 2, s. 30, s. 4, s. 7(2), s. 8
Madras Aliyasantana Act, 1949s. 17, s. 30, s. 36(3), s. 36(5), s. 3(b)(f), s. 3(b)(h), s. 3(b)(i), s. 3(b)(ii), s. 7(2)

Subjects

Aliyasantana lawHindu Succession Actundivided interestintestate successionpartitionNissanthathi KavaruSection 7(2)Section 36overriding legislation

Judgment

404

A SUNDARI AND ORS.
v.
LAXMI AND ORS.
August 28, 1979
[A. C. GUPTA AND P. S. KAILASAM, JJ.]
B
Madras Aliyasantana Act, 1949 (Madras Act IX of 1949) Sections 3(b)
(i), (ii) {f), (h), 36(3) &· (5) read with Section 7(2), 17, 30 of Hindu Sue-
l!
.,
cession Act, 1956 (Act 30 of 1956)-Devo/ution of the property allotted to a
'nissanthathi kavaru' under the Aliyasantana law and its effect on the Hindu
Succession Act, explained.
c The parties to the litigation leading to this appeal are governed by the
Aliyasantana law prevalent in the district of South Kanara. They were mem~
bers of a Kutumba descended from a common ancestress by name Manjekke.
One Parameshwari and her son and daughter instituted original suit No. 91 of
'\
1950 before the Court of the Subordinate Judge South. Kanara for partition of •
properties in accordance with the provisions of Madras Aliyasantana Act, 1949.
The suit was dismissed~ but on appeal the High Court reversed it. The High
D Court passed a preliminary decree on 28-6-1961 and remanded the suit for
further proceedings. In the trial a joint memo was filed by the parties on 25th
September 1963 accepting the shares as per the memo. Defendants 22 to 24
in the suit were allotted 85176 shares out of a total of 6,15,264 shares.

Defendants 22,23,24 were all male members of the 'Kutumba' and were
'Nissanthathi kavaru'. On the death of the 23rd and 24th defendants their
E legal Representatives who .were brought on record filed R.J.A. No. 2266/66 and
R.I.A. 2259/66 respectively claiming that out of the share allotted to the
K.avarus of defendants 22 to 24, one-third representing the share· or interest of
the 23rd and 24th defendants be allotted to them. The petition was opposed
on the ground that each one of the defendants 22, 23, and 24 was a separate
'Nissanthathi Kavaru' lUld on the death of each of the defendants 24 and 23,
his share or interest devolved upon the 'Sant'1athi Kavaru' nearest to him to
F which defendants II, 12 and 16 belonged. The plea of the 22nd defendant ~·
was that all the three defendants 22, 23 and 24 constituted one single Nissan-
thathi Kavarn to which, under the preliminary decree one single or joint share
was allotted and, therefore, the said share survived to the last surviving mem-
ber thereof (22nd defendant) and that no devolution on a 'Santhathi Kavaru'
under sub...gection' (5) of Section 36 is possible until the last member of
G 'Nissanthathi Kavaru' viz. the 22nd defendant dies. •.
The trial court found that in the High Court decree dated 20-6-1961 de-
fendants 22 to 24 were allotted shares jointly. It further held that defendants
22, 23 and 24 formed three 'Nissanthathi Kavarust as their mother was dead
at the time of the filing of the suit and partition was effected and there was
no undivided interest in the property when they died so as to attract the pro-
visions of section 7(2) of the Hindu Succession Act.
e
The High Court ori appeal held that when the 24th defendant died he had
an undivided interest in the properties of the Kavam of himself and defendant~
SUNDARI V. LAXMI 405

22 and 23 and that the said undivided interest quantified as provided by the expla- A
riation to sub~section (2) of section 7 of the Hindu Succession_ Act and woufcl
devolve bY intestate succession under the Succession Act. Similarly when the
l 23rd defendant died he had an undivided interest in the property jointly be~
longing to himself and the 22nd defendant. That undivided interest also get
quantified under Section 7(2) of the Hindu Succei;sion Act. The High Conrt
allowed the appeals holding that the property descended according to the rule
of 'intestate succession contained in Hindu Succession Act. B
Dismissing the appeal by special leave the Court,

HEID: I. The three defendants were allotted jointly a share in the parti-
. tion. In the suit filed by one Parameshwari defendants 22, 23 and 24 were
made parties as they belonged to the Kavaru of their mother. They pleaded
in the written statement for the allotment of their share in the event of parti~ C
tion. Moreover in the joint memo their. joint share was shown as 85,176 out
of the total share of 615,264. [409E, 410C-D]

,. 2. The three defendants have enjoyed the interest as Nissantbathi Kavaru,
and on partition are entitled only to life interest in the properties allotted to
them under section 36(3) of the Madras Aliyasantana Act, 1949. [411.C-D]
))
3. In view Of the over-riding provision in Section 4 of the Hindu Succes-
sion Act, it is clear that the provisions of Aliyasantana Act, whether customary
-0r statutory will cease to apply, in so far as they are inconsistent with the pro-
visions of the Hindu Succession Act, which came into force on 17th June
1956. Therefore, the devolution by testamentary or intestate succession is
under the Hindu Succession Act. [411G-H]

The explanation to Section 7 (2) of the Act provides that the interest in
the property of the Kutumba or Kavaru of a Hindu shall be deemed to be the
share in the property of the Kutumba or Ka.varu, as the case may be, that
would have fallen to him or her if a partition of that property per capila had
been made immediately before his or her death among all th~ members of the
Kutumba or Kavaru, as the case may be, then living whether he or she was
entitled to claim such partition or not under the Aliyasant.ana law and such
• ·share shall be deemed to have been allotted to him or her absolutely. The
F
result_ of the Explanation is that the undivided interest in the property of the
Hindu in the Aliyasantana Kutumba or Ka varu shall devolve as provided for
·~. under the Hindu Succession Act and that the share of the Hindu shall be deem-
ed to have been allotted to him absolutely. [412G-H, 413A]

• The Explanation to section 30 of the Hindu Succession Act provides that
.a member of an Aliyasantana Kutumba or Kavaru can dispose of his interest G
in Kutumba properties by a willt while under the. Aliyasantana law the indivi-
dual cannot do so. Expla-nation to section 30(1) enables the male HindU-in a
Kutumba or Kavaru which is deemed to be property capable of being dispOBed
of by him Sections 7(2) and 30(1) would relate to undivided interest in the
property of the Kutumba or Kavarn. [413B-DJ

Section 17 of · the Hindu Succession Act deals with the intestate succession· II
to the separate property of a Hindu male under the Afiyasantana law. It
pr,ovides that section 8, 10, 15 and 23 shall have effect with certain modifica-
• [1980] 1 S.C.R.
406 SJHJ!MI COU!lT REPORTS

A tions in rel&tion to persons who would have been governed by th'e Aliyasan~
tana 1aw. Section 8 provides that the property of a male Hindu dying intestate
shall devolve as 1pecified in the s'ection. The succession to the property of a
male Hindu belonging to a Kutumba or Kavaru of Aliy8!antana l~w dying
intestate would be governed by the provisionA of •ection 8 ao modified by ·
!eetion 17, the effect being that the succession as provided for under the Aliya..
santana law woul~ not be applica.ble to Hindu femaleo under section 10 which
S provides for the distribution of property among heirs in class I of the Schedule.
Section IS provideo the general rule of succession in the case of Hindu female•.
The rule as to the succession is also made applicable to Hindu female under
tke Aliyasantana law which provides for succession of the separate property
of a Hindu male and a female. Section 14 of the Act enlarges the property
a
possessed by female Hindu (and not a Hindu male) whether acquired before
or after the commencement of the Hindu Succession Act by providing that she
C: will hold the property as a full owner 3dld not ao a limi~ owner. The Hindu
male will be entitled only to the limited rights as provided for under the Jaw
applicable to him. According to the provisions of section 36(5) of the
Aliyasantana law, the property allotted to Nissanthathi Kavaru at a partition
is enjoyed by it only as a life int'erest and at the time of the death of the last
of its membeni shall devolve upon the Kutumba.. But when a Hindu governed
..
by the Aliyaoantana law dies possessed of a life interest, after his death the
a property devolTes under the Hindu Succession Act to the heirs as provided for
under the said Act and not und·er the Aliyasantana Act and therefore would
not revert back to the Kutumba. [413H, 414A-C, 4180-E]
4. The effect of the Provisiom of the Hindu SuC'CC88ion Act i& tha.t after
the coming into force of the Hindu Succession Act an undivided interest of a
Hindu would devolve as provided by section 7(2), while in the case of
separat.e property it' would devolve on his heirs· M provided for in the Hindu
Succession Act. Even though a Nissanthathi Kavaru might have a limited
interetSt which would in tum devolve upon a Kutumba or the nearest Santhttthi
Kava111 under Section 36(5) of the Aliyasantana Act, the devolution will be
under the Hindu Succession Act, as the mode of devolution prescribed under
section 36(5) of the Aliyasantana Act, has to give way to the provisions of
section 8 of the Hindu Succession Act, Which prescribed a different mode of
succession. [414G-H, 415-A]
In thi5 c..e, th• property hao been found to be undivided' ao between de-
•
fendants 22, 23 and 2-4 and th'erefore, the position is that on the death of each
one of the defendants his undivided intdrest would devolTe on his heirs.
[415E]
The contention that there w~ a. division in status on the filing of guit
for partition or that 8.! the mother Wa! dead th'ere were separate Kavarus is
G not correct. . Jn the case of defendant! 22, 23 and 24 who aro malec; the
Kavaru would mean the Kavaru of the mother Of that male under section
3(b)(ii) of the Aliyasantana Act The malo by himoelf cannot be a Kavarn
under the definition. By virtue of the Explanation to Section 35(2) a male
member of a Kutumba ;. deemed to be a Kavaru for the purpooo of Chapter
VI, which deal• with partition of Kutumba. In thio case, tlie •nit wao filed by

• Parameshwari and her two children for the partition and separate possession
of their •hare of the Kntnmba property. When the ouit is not filed by a male
member the provisions of Chapter vt will not be applicable. The deemed
proYision io only applicable in eonsidering the right to claim partition. Further
SUNDARl v. LAXMI (Kailasam, ].) 407

when the plaintiff filed the suit, there is no presumption that there w3s_ a division
in status of all the Kiwarus that constituted the Kutumba. . The filing of the
suit will no doubt result in the "disruption of the joint status of the plaintiff/
'
(.
Kavaru. but the other Kavarus may continue to be joint in the . ~utumba.
· \Vhether tho other Ka"Varus continued to be joint in the Kavaru or not. is a
~· question of fact. [415E-H, 416A]
· Jalaia Shedthi and Ors. v. Lakshmi Shedthi and Or.., [1974] I S.C.R. 707,
and Sundara Adappa and Ors. T. Girija and Or~. A.I.R. 1962 Mys~ 72, explain- •
ed and cllitino<JUishcd. · ·

CML APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 1543 of
1969.
Appeal by Special Leave from the Judgment anci Order· dated
13-8-1968 of the Mysore High Court in C.R.P. No. 931/67.
c
R. B. Datar and Lalit Bhardwaj for the Appellants
• K. N. Bhat for the Respondents.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
. KAILASAM, J.-Tuis appeal is by special leave granted by. this D
Court against the judgment and order of the High Court of Mysore
in C.R.P. No. 931 of 1967 allowing a revision against the order passed
by the Civil Judge, Mangalore, in RI.A. No. 2266 of 1966 in O.S.
No. 91 of 1950.
T)Ie facts of,the case may be briefly stated. The parties to this E
litigation ard goviirnid by the Aliyasanthana l&w prenl•nt in the dii-
trict of South Kanara. They were members of a kutumba descended
from a common ancestre.• by name Manjekke. One Parameshwari
and her son and daughter instituted Original Suit No. 91 of 1950
before the Court of the 1ubordinate Judge at South Kanara for parti-
tion of properties in accordance with the provisions of the Madra• J!
Aliyasnnthana Act, 1949, (Madras Act IX of 1949). The suit was
dismissed by the Trial Court upholding the defence raised that a cer-
tain award decree made in Original Suit No. 314 of 1924 on the file
of the District MunsifI, Mangalore, amounted to a partition within the
• ·meaning of sulJ.:section (6) of Section 36 of the Madras Aliy-asanthana
Act, and therefore another suit for partition was not maintainable. .· G
.Though the trial court dismissed the suit holding that the suit for ·
partition was ·not sustainable it proceeded to record findin~ determin-
ing the shares to which the members of several. brancbe. are entitled
in the event of there being a decree for partition.
On appeal by the plaintiffs' the High Court .of Karnataka reversed H
the decision of the Subordiuate Judge and held that the award .decree
in Original Suit
. No. 314 of 1924 on the file of the Di•trict Munsiff'
SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1980] 1 S.C.R.
...
408

Mangalore, did not amount to a partition and .that the suit for parti-
tion was maintainable. The High Court passed a preliminary d.ecree
on 28th June, 1961 and. remanded the suit for further proceedings.
The Advooates on both sides agreed regarding the shares of the parties
and the Court directed a preliminary decree for partition and speci-
fied the shares as found by the Trial Court in Paragraph 17 of its
B judgment.. The shares were determined on a joint memo filed by
the parties on 25th September, 1963. The shares allotted to defendants
22 to 24 were 85,176 out of a total of 615,264 shares.

Defendants 22, 23 and 24 are all male members of the kutumba
and are 'nissanthathi kavaru'. The 24th Defendant died before file
preliminary decree was passed on 10th June, 1957 and his wife and
children were brought on record as legal representatiyes. The 23rd I

defendant died on 9th March, 1962, after the passing of the prelimi-
nary decree. His wife and children were brought on record as legail
•"
representatives~ ·During the final decree proceedings the legal re-
D presentatives of the 24th respondent filed R.I.A. No. 2259 of 1966
and the representatives of the 23rd defendant filed R.I.A. No. 2266
of 1966 claiming that out of the share allotted to the kavaru of de-
fendants 22 to 24, one-third representing the share or interest of the
24th and the 23rd defendants be allotted to them. Tills petition was
opposed on the groU1Jd that each one of the defendants 22, 23 and
E 24 was a separate nissanthathi kavaru and on the death of each of
the defendants 24 and 23 bis share or interest devolved upon the
santhathi kavarus nearest to bim to which defendants 11, 12 and 16
belonged. The plea of the 22nd defendant was that all the three de-
fendantS 22, 23 and 24 constitnterl one single nissanthathi kavaru to
which, under the preliminary decree one single or joint share was
allotted, and therefore the said share survived to the last surviving
member thereof (22nd defendant), and that no devolution on a san-
thathl kavaru under sub-section (5) of section 36 is possible until
the last member of the nissanthathi kavaru, viz., the 22nd defendant,
dies. •.
The trial court found that in the High . Court decree dated
20-6-1961 defendants 22 to 24 were allotted shares jointly. ft re-
jected the contentions of both the applicants i.e. the legal represen-
tatives of defendants 23 and 24 as well as the surviving defendant 22
holding. that defendants 22, 23 and 24 formed three different nfssan-
H thilthi kqvarus as their mother was dead at the time of the filing of
the suit and partition was effected and there was undivided interest
in the property when they died so as to attraet the provisions of
SUNDARI v. LAXMI (Kai lasam' l.) 409

section 7 (2) of the Hindu Succession Act. The tiial coun dismissed
both I.As. 2259 & 2266/66.
The High Coun on appeal while agreeing with the conclusion
arrived at by the Civil Judge that the clear intention of defendants
22, 23 and 24 was that one share be jointly allotted to three of them
together held that when the 24th defendant died he had an undivided B
· interest in the properties of the, kavaru of himself and defendants 22
and 23 and that the said undivided interest quantified as provided
by the explanation to sub-section (Z) of section 7 of the Hindu Suc-
cession Act, and would devolve by intestate succession under the said,
Succession Act. Similarly when the 23rd defendant died he had an
undivided interest in the property jointly belonging to himself and the
c
22nd defendant. That undivided interest also got quantified under
se~tion 7 (2) of Hindu Succession Act. The High Court allowed the
appeals holding that the property descended according to the rules of
intestate succession contained in the Hindu Succession Act.
In this appeal the main contention of the learned counsel for the
appellants is fuat the High Court was in error in holding that defen-
dants 22, 23 and 24 were male members of one nissanthathi kavaru
and that the three defendants did not constitute three different nissan-
thathi kavarus. On a consideration of the plaint, the written state-
ment, the consent memo and the preliminary decree passed by the E
High Court we a.gree with the conclusion arrived at by the High Court.
The suit was filed by one Parameshwari and her son and daughter
as plaintiffs in O.S. No. 91 of 1950 praying ~or a partition of the pro-
perties and for allotment of her share to her. In the suit defendants
22, 23 and 24 were made parties as they belonged to the kavaru of
their mother. In paragraph 10 of the written statement defendants 22, F /
23 and 24 stated that they have no objection to the partition of the
l
family properties according to the rights of the parties but submitted
that in the event of partition their share should be allotted to them
and further the plaintiffs should be directed to surrender possession df
the properties in Schedule I of the written statem~nt. The written state-
ment was filed jointly by the three defendants and their plea was that G
• in the event of partition their share should be allotted to them. The
statement clearly indicates that the· three defendants together asked
for allotment of their shares in the family properties. There was no
dispute as to the quantum· of shares to the parties. The trial court
has recorded :
H
"The learned Advocates on both sides are agreed that
the suit be decreed for partition in respect of the plaint
410 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1980] 1 s.c.R.

schedule immovable properties; they are also agreed that the
share!! be divided as indicated in para 17 of the Trial
Court's judgment. We direct that a preliminary decree
for partition of the plaint echedule immovable properties be
dra.1\'11 up accordingly." t
• Para 17 of the trial court's judgment reads :
"In case this suit is to be decreed, the sJmres to which
the several parties are entitled to will be as set out iiili the
joint memo filed by the parties on 25-9-1963, which are as
follows."

c Shares of defendants 22, 23 and 24 are mentioned as 85,176 out
of total share of 615,264. On a consideration of the pleadings the
consent memo and the preliminary decree the IDgh Court came to
the conclusion that the shares were allotted to the three defendants
jointly. We agree with the conclusion arrived at by the High Court
and hold that the three defendants were allotted jointly a share in the
D partition.
The le~ed counsel for the appellant submitted that this finding
. of fact would not conclude the appeal. He submitted that in law there
was no undivided interest in the property which defendants 24 and 23
owned at the time of their death as required under section 7(2) of
the Hindu Succession Act. The submission on !hi& aspect is two--
fol(!.
(l)(a) Defendants cannot claim that they were members
of-the kavam of their mother as their mother was
dead at the time when the partition suit was filed :
(b) Under the E.xplanation to sec. 35(2) a male member
of 11. kutumba is deemed to be kavaru. Therefore
each one of the three members woulcl. constitute a
separate kavaru and therefore there was no un-
divided interest as wnongst them.
(2) The filing ar partition suit by one df the members
of the kutumba would have the effect of effecting
the severance of the status and therefore there was •
no longer any undivided interest between the
several members of the kutumba.
Before dealing with the contentiops it is necessary to briefly refer
B to the salient features of Aliyasanthana law. In the well-known
treatise on Malabar and Aliyasanthana law by P. R. Sundara Aiyar,
a distinguished Judge of the Madras IDgh Court, and edited by
SUNDARI v. LAXMI (Kailasam, 1.) 411

B. Sitarama Rao, an eminent lawyer of the Madras High Court who A
hailed from the South Kanara, the Aliyasanthana law is stated to
imply a rule of inheritance under which property descends in the line
of neohews. The term "Aliyasanthana Law" is the exact Cainarese
equivalent of the Malayalam term Marumakkathaya:ri. Aliyasanthana
Law differs but slightly from the Marumak:kathayam system. In its
' main features viz., impartibility, descent in the line of females and nori· B
"·· recognition of marriage as a legal institution it completely agrees with
0

the Marumak:kathayam law. In Aliyasanthana law the males are equal
proprietors with females and joint management .is recognised, while ·
the Marumakkathayam law does not recognise a right to join manage-
men~. The succession to the separate property of an individual mem·
ber in Aliyasanthana law is to the nearest heirs and not to the Tarwad
c
as in the Marumak:kathayam law. The succession of the hem of the
ieparate property is, recognised by the Madras Aliyasanthana Act,
1949, sections 18 to 24. On the facts of the present case itis not dis-
puted that defendants 22, 23 :md 24 have enjoyed the interest as
nissanthathi kavaru and on partition are entitled only to life-interest D
in the properties allotted to them under section 36(3) of the Madras
Aliyasanthana Act. The. question that arises for consideration ls
how far the Aliyasanthana Act regarding partition and succession has
been affected by the Hindu Succession Act. The Hindu Succession Act
came into force on 17th June, 1956. The preamble states that the
Act amends and modifies the law relating to intestate succes•ion E
among !Hindus. Though the preamble refers only to "Intestate sue·
cession" as the title '!Hindu Act' indicates it relates to the law of
succession among !Hindus and not merely to inlestate succession as
mentioned in the Preamble. The law has brought about radical
changes in the Jaw of •uccession. The law is applicable to all Hindus
as provided in section 2 of the Act. It is made cleair that the law is F
applicable not only to persons governed by Dayabhaga and Mitak-
~hara law but also to persons governed by Aliyasanthana, Marumak-
kathayam and Narnbudri systems of Hindu Law. Sectifm; 4 of the Act
gives overriding application to the provisions of the Act and lays down
that in respect of any ot the matters dealt with in the Act all existing
G
laws whether in the shape of enactment or otherwise which are in-
. consistent with the Act are repealed. Any other law in force im-
mediately before the commencement of this Act ceases to apply to
• Hindus in oo far as it is inconsistent with any of the provisions con-
tained in the Act. It is therefore clear that the provisions of Aliya·
611nthana law whether customary. or statutory will cease to apply, in so H
far as they are incomiiotent with the provisions of the Hindu Succes-
sion Act.
412 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1980] 1 S.C.R.

A The scheme of the Hindu Succession Act in the matter of succes-
sion to the property of Hindu dyini;: intestate is provided in sections 8.
lb 13. Sections 15 and 16 provide for the succession to the property
of a female dying intestate. Section 17 specifically provides for app-
lication of the Hindu Succession Act to persons governed by Maliibar
and Aliyasanthana law. Section 14 does not relate to succession but
B provides that any property possessed by a female Hindu whether
acquired before or after the commencement of this Act shall be held
by her as full owner thereof and not as limited owner.
Section 7 (2) is the section which relates to the devolution of an
undivided interest in the property of a kutumba or kavaru and may
be extracted in full.
c "7 ( 2) When a Hindu to whom the Aliyasanthana law
would have applied if this Act had not been passed dies after
the commencement of this Act, having at the time of his or
'
her death an undivided interest in the prop;!rty of Kutumba '
or Kavaru, as the case may be, his or her interest in the
D property shall devolve by testamentary or intestate succes-
sion, as the vase may be, under this Act a'nd not accordiog
to the Aliyasanthana law.
Explanation-For the purposes of this sub-section, the
interest of a Hindu in the property of a kutwnba or kavaru
shall be deemed to be the share in the property of the y
kutumba or kavaru, as the case may be, that would have •
fallen to him or her if a partition of that property per capita
had been made immediately before his or her death among
all the members of the kutumba or kavaru, as the case
may be, then living whether he or she was entitled to claim
such partition or not under the Aliyasantha'na law, and such
F share shall be deemed to have been allotted t'o him or her
absolutely."
Under the customary law and under the Madras Aliyasanthana
Act, 1949 the undivided interest in the property of a Hindu in Aliyas~
anthana kutumba or kavaru devolved according to the provisions of
G the Aliyasanthana law but after the introduction of sec. 7 (2) the de-
volution by testamentary or intestate succession is under the provisions
of the Hindu Succession Act. . The Explanation to sec. 7(2) pro\ides
that the interest in the property of the kutumba or kavaru of a Hindu
shall be deemed to be the share in the property of the kutumba or
kavaru, as the case may be, that would have falkn to him or her if a 4~
1... ' "
H 11ariition of that property per capita had been made immediately
before his or her death among all the members -of the kutumba or
kavaru, as the case may be, then livini;: whether he or she was enlitled
SUNDAJV v. LAXMI (Kai lasam, J.) 413

A.
to claim such partition or not under the Aliyasanthana law, and such
share shall be deemed to have been allotted to him or her absolutely.
The result of the Explanation is that the undivided interest in the
property of the Hindu in the Aliyasanthana kutumba or kavaru shall
devolve as provided for under the Hindu Succession Act and that the
share of the Hindu shall be deemed to have been allotted to him abso-
lutely. The Explanation to sec. 30 of the Hindu Succession Act pro-
vides that a member of an Aliyasanthana kutumba or kavaru can
dispose of his interest in the kutumba properties by a will. Under
the Aliyasanthana law the individual cannot dispose cf his interest in
the kutumba by a will. Explanation to sec. 30 ( 1) enables the male
'Hindu in a kutumba or karavu to dispose of his interes.t in a kutumba c
or kavaru which is deemed to be property capabk of being disposed
of by him. Thus while sec. 7(2) provides that when a Hindu to whom
the Aliyasanthana law would have applied if this Act had not been
passed dies after the commencement of this Act, having at the time of
his or her death an undivided interest in the property of kutumba or
kavaru, as the case may be, under the Hindu Succession Act, sec. 30 D
enables the male Hindu to dispose of his undivided interest in a
kutumba or kavaru by a will. While these two sections relate to unr
divided interest in the property of the kutumba or kavaru sec. 17
deals with the suc~ession to the separate property of a Hindu male
under the Aliyasanthana law. It provides that sectio'ns 8, 10, 15 and
23 shall have effect with certain modifications in relation to persons E
who would have been governed by the Aliyasanthana law. Section
8 provides that the property of a male Hindu dying intestate shall
devolve as specified in the section. The succession to the property
of a male Hindu belongnig to a kutumba or kavaru of Aliyasanthana
law dying intestate would be governed by the provisions of sec. 8 as
modified by sec. 17 the effect being that the succession as provided
for under the Aliyasanthana law would not be applicable. Section 1O
.provides for the distribution of property among heirs in Class I of the
Schedule. Section 15 provides the gene1al rule of succession in the
case of Hindu females. The rule as to the succession is also made
• applicable to Hindu female under the Aliyasauthana law "~th the G
modifications provided for under sub-sec. (2) of section 17. Section
23 of the Hindu Succession Act is not applicable to a Hindu governed
by Aliyasanthana law. Thus sec. 17 which makes sections 8, 10, 15
and 23 applicable with certain modifications to a Hindu under the
Aliyasanthana Jaw provides for succession of the separate property of
a Hindu male and a female. After the coming into force of the Hindu
Succession Act, the provisions of section 7 (2) are applicable as re-
gards undivided interest of a Hindu governed by Aliyasantha'na law
8-531SCI/79
414 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1980] l S.C.R.

A. while the provisions of the explanation to section 30 are applicable
in the case of a will relating to his interest in llhe family property.
Section 17 provides that sections 8, 10, 15 and 23 with modilicatiom.
will apply to the separate property of a Hindu under the Aliyasa'nthana
law.
Section 14 enlarges the property possessed by a. female Hindu
B whether acquired before or after the commencement of the Hindu
Succession Act by providing that she will hold the property as ll: ii
owner and not as a limited owner. This provision is applicable to
Hindu females and does not have the effect of enlarging a limited
estate in the hands of a Hindu male. The Hindu male will be en-
titled only to the limited righhs as provided for under the law that is
applicable to him. But when once the succ~sion opens by the death
of the Hindu sec. 7 (2) provides that the smre in the undivided iatctel>t
of the Hindu would devolve on his heirs under the Hindu s.cCesaion
Act absolutely. A Hindu under section 30 of the Hindu Saccessio:Q
Act is alw conferred the right to disposing of by will his interest ia the
D kutumba or kavani. While a Hindu dies intestate his undivided interest
devolves absolu,foly on his heirs, in the case of his separate property
the succession is governed by the provisions of sectioru; 8, 10 and 15
of the Act as modi.tied by section 17.
It may be noted that regarding the separate property of a Hindu
the Madras Aliyasanthana Act provides that the provisions of sec-
E tions 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the Act would be applicable. The
separate property does not revert back to the kutumba or kavaru ot
the Aliyasanthana family. At the time of the partition if any kavarn
taking a share is a nissanthathi kavaru, it shall have only a life-interest
in the properties allotted to it under certain circumsl'ances and the pro-
perty would revert back to a santhathi kavaru if it is in existence.
F
Section 36 ( 3) of the Madras Aliyasanthana Act provides that the
properties allotted to a nissanthathi kavaru at a partition and in which
it had only a life-interest at the time of the death of the last memlx:r,
shall devolve upon the kut.umba or where the kutumba has brok'm
up, at the same or at a subsequent partition, into a number of kavarus,
upon the nearest santhathi ka.varu or kavarus. The devolution of the
property allotted to a nissanthati kavaru which has only a life-interest
devolves upon a kutumba or the nearest santhathi kavaru. This mode
of devolution prescribed by section 36(5) of the Aliyasa'nthana Act
has to g:iv.~ way to the provisions of section 8 of the Hindu Succession

H
Act which prescribed a different mode of succession.
The effect of the provisions of the Hindu Succession Act above
referred to is that after the coming into force of the Hindu Succession
Act an undivided interest of a' Hindu would devolve 'ilS provided J'oc
•
SUNDARI v. LAXMI (Kailasam, J.) 415

cunder sec. 7 (2) while in the case of separate property it would de- A"
volve on his heirs as provided for in the Hindu Succession Act. Even
though -a nissant/zathi kavaru might have a limited interest as the de-
volution prescribed· for in the Madras Aliyasanthana Act is no more
applicable the devolution will be under the Hindu Succession Act.

•ir· fa this case ihc property bas been found to be undivided as bet-
·ween defendants 22, 23 and 24 and therefore the position is that on
B

the death of each one of the defendants his undivided intetest would
-devolve on his heirs.
The learned counsel for the appellants Polied on the Explanation to
sec. 35 (2) of the Madras Aliyasanthana Act and submitted that every
male member of a kutumba shall be deemed to be a kavaru and on c
filing of a suit for partition it must be deemed that every male member
·Of the kut11mba got himself separated. Kutumba is defined under
cSec. 3 ( c) as mea'ning a group of persons forming a joint family
·with community of property govcrnod by the Aliyasanthana law of
inheritance. Kavam is defined under sec. 3(b) (i) and (ii) as ,
:under:- D
"3(b) (i) "Kavaru", used in relation to a female, means
the group of persons consisting of that female, her children
and all her descendants in the female line;
(ii) "Kavaru" used in re1'ation to a male, means the
Kavaru of the mo_thcr of that male;" ; E
In the case of defendants 22, 23 and 24 _who are males the karnm
would mean the kavam of the mother of that male. The male by
l:timself cannot be a kavaru under the definition. By virtue of the Ex-
-planation to sec. 35 (2) a male member of a kutumba is deemed to be
a kavam for the purpose of Chapter V~. Chapter VI deals with
partition of kutumba. In this case the suit was filed by Parmeshwari F
and her two children for the partition and separate possession of their
share of the kutumba property. When the suit is not filed by a male
member the provisions of Chapter VI will not be applicable. ·The
-deemed definition is only applicable in considering the right to claim
partition. Further, when tlie plaintiff filed the suit there is no presump-
G
ction that there was a division in status of 111! the kavarus that' consti-
tuted the kutumba. The filing of the suit will no. doubt result in the·
-division of the status of the plaintiff kavaru but the other kavarus may
continue to be joint in the kutumba. Whether the other kavarus
continued to be joint in the. kavaru or not is a. question of fact. In
this case it is found there is no material to hold that there was division . H
·ef status as between defendants 22, 23 and 24.. In this view the con-
1entions of the learned counsel for the appellants that there was divi-
416 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1980] 1 S.C.R.

A sion in status on the filing of the suit for partition or that as the
mother was dead there were separate kavarus will have to be negatived. "'
The r,liance on Explanation to sec. 35(2) will not help the appel-
lants.
~
'
In Jalaja Shedthi & Ors. v. Lakshmi Shedthi & Ors.( 1) one C and
B his sister and her sons were members of an Aliyasanthana Kutumba.
C executed a will on January 15, 1957 bequeathing his, interest in
.. ...
~
favour of the appellants. On January 25, 1957 the respondents issued
a notice to C stating that he was the manager of the divided family,
that he was a nissanthathi kavaru while ,the respondents were santhathi
·r-"'
kavarus, as such there were only two kavarus and that they had de-
c cided to divide the properties between C and themsdves. The
respondents demanded a share belonging to their kavaru from out of
· the entire movable and immovable properties of the family. C replied
on January 24, 1957. that there were only two kavarus in the family
and both the kavarus were nissanthathi kavarus. C also expressed ;
'··
that he had no objection to the claim for partition made by the respon-
D
dents and was prepared to effect it provided the respondents co-
operated. C subsequently died on February 13, 1957 after the coming.
into force of the Succession Act

On March 23, 1957 the appellants gave a notice to the respondents.
claiming a· separate share under C's will. The respondents replied
E
to the notice on the same day denying that the appellants had any
share because according to them C was entitled only to a life-interest
under the Aliyasanthana law. It was held by this Court that there was
neither a kutumba nor can C be a kavaru as the two kavarus after the
division in status became only one kavaru, viz. that of respondent No.
F 1, sister of C. It was held that the C is not a kavaru within the meaning of
r
sec. 3 (b) of the Madras Act because under sec. 3 (b (ii), there
being no female line, it is only C's mother who can be a kavaru but
not C. If C is not a kavaru there is no property of a kavaru, which
can be disposed of under sec. 30 of the Succession Act. Even under
the explanation fo that section, the life-interest which C had on sever-
G ance of statns is not properly capable of being disposed of by a will
nor could it devolve by survivorship. As he is no longer a kavaru and
liad therefore no interest in the property of the kiivaru, C'.s life-interest
is also not enlarged under section 7 (2) of the Hindu Succession Act,
into an absolute interest. Section 14 of the Hindu Succession Act
cannot also be availed of as the life-interest of a male under the . h- ~

H Aliyasanthana law cannot enlarge under section 14.
(I) [1974] I S.C.R. 707.
SUNDARI v. LAXMI ( Kai/asam, J.) 417

Ja/aja Shedthi & Or's. v. Lakshmi Shedthi & Ors. (supra) relates to A
a will executed on 15th January, 1958 by Chandayya Shetty be-
queathing his interest in favour of his wife and children. A week
after the execution of the will on 22nd fanuary, the first respondent
i.e. the sister of Chandayya Shetty and her children issued a notice to
Chandayya Shetty stating that they had decided to divide the properties
B
,.(· between Chandayya She tty and· them&olves and demanded a share be-
,. longing to their kavaru. Chandayya Shetty subsequently died on 13th
February, 1957. On 23rd March, 1957 Chandayya Shetty's wife and
her children gave notice claiming a separate share under the will of
Chandayya Shetty. It was found that on a demand for partition there
was a division of status though partition by metes and bounds had c
not taken place. There was only two kavarus and in the circum-
stanres it could not be pleaded that joint status between other kavarus
continued. There was therefore no undivided interest of a copar-
cener, within the meaning of section 7 (2) of the Hindu Succes-
sion Act. If there was no undivided inDorest it is clear that pro-
visions of section 7(2) of the Hindu Succession Act cannot apply. D
111 considering the effect of the will the Court agreed with the
view of a full Bench of the High Court of Mysore in Sundara Adappa
and Ors. v. Girija & Ors.(!)
It was contended before the full Bench that by virtne of sec.
30(1) of the Hindu Succession Act the right of the first defendant who E
had obtained a preliminary decree for his 75/360th share of his !Jr<>-
perties became capable of being disposed of by will and therefore the
children of the first defendant would be entitled to the share in ac-
cordance with the terms thereof. The Mysore High Court held that
the benefit referred to in the Explanation to sec. 30(1) is confined
to the int:rest of a male Hindu in his kutwnba and would not apply F
to the proper!)' obtained by him as his share in the preliminary decree.
This Conrt in approving the above observations observed. "The above
statement of the law which meets the several contentions raised before
us is in consonance with our own reading of the provisions of the
' Madras Act and the Succession Act". This Court rejected the pleas
that the effect of section 17 ofi the Snccession Act was not considered G
in the Mysore case, holding that the question was not relevant in the
case before them or in the Mysore case because sec. 17 of the Succes-
sion Act applies to provisions of sections 8, 10, 15 and 23 which dealt
with intestacy. As we are concerned in the present c-ase with the
iniestate
. succession to tl1e estate of defendants 24. and 23 , the deci-
s1ons are not applicable to the facts of this case. H

(l) A.l.R. 1962 Mys. 72.
418 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1980] l S.C.R.

A The plea of the learned counsel for the respondents that ".Ven if
the property of the defendants 24 and 23 were held to be separate pro-
perty the succession would be in accordance with Hindu Succession Act·
by virtue of the provisions of sec. 17 of the Hindu Succession Act
will have to be considered. Chapte.r II of the Hindu Succession Act
which deals with the intestate succession is applicable. to the property
B
of Hindus and the provisions of this Chapter would prevail over any
law which was in force immediately before the commencement of this
Act. Therefore the provisions relating to succession of Aliyasanthana
Hindus would be by the provisions of the Hindu Succession Act and,
not by the Aliyasautbana law. Section 7 (2) and sec. 17 of the Hindu
c Succession Act deal specifically with succession of the property of a
Hindu belonging to Aliyasantbana family. While sec. 7(2) relates to
devolution of undivided interest in the property of a kutumba or
kavaru of a Hindu belonging to an Aliyasanthana family sec. 17 •
. makes the provisions of sections 8, 10, 15 and 23 with the modifica-
tions specified in sec. 17 to the devolution of separate property 'of a
D Hindu under the Aliyasanthana law. According to the provisions
of sec. 36(5) the property allotted to nissanthathi kavaru at a parti-
tion is enjoyed by it only as a life-interest and at the time of the
death of the last of its ,members shall devolve. upon the kutumba. This
devolution of the life-interest is according to sec. 36(5). When a
Hindu governed by the Aliyasantbana law dies possessed of a life-
E interest, after his death the property devolves under the Hindu Suc-
cession Act and not under t:\le' Aliyasanthana Act arn:I therefore would
not revert back to the kutumba. This Court in Jalaja Shedthi & Ors. v.
Lakshmi Shedthi & Ors. (supra) while deciding the rights of the parties
under a will execnted by a Hindu governed by Aliyasanthana law l:teld
at p. 719 : "Similarly on the same parity of reasoning, when there are
F
two kavarus, a demand for partition would disrupt them and ·Chiind-
ayya Sbetty could no longer claim that be had an undivided interest
within the meaning of sec. 7(2) of the Succession Act, and if he
has no undivided interest in the pr~erty, his interest cannot be en-
larged into an absolute estate nor can his interest in the property de-
G volve upon his heirs by intestate succession.'' The words underliaed
by us relate to intestate succession and the Court has specifically I
stated that it was not referring to the provis\ons of sec. 17 of the Hindu
Succession Act as it related to intestate succession. These observa-
tions relating to intestate succession are therefore in the nature of I\....
obiter. The separate property is not enlarged into an absolute ei~te
H under sec. 7 (2) but on death it devolves on the heirs as provided
under the Hindu Succession Act. Therefore it will not revert back
to the kutumba but only to the heirs as provided for under the Hie.du
'
SUNDARI v. LAXMI (Kailasam, J.) 419

Succession Act. Similarly in the observations at p. 721 of the Reports A
....) . ,
where it has observed : "In this case also as already stated, there is
no ~avaru of Chandayya Shetty, and on separation he had only a life-
irnterest which is not· a. heritable property and cannot be disposed of
by a will, nor could it devolve as on intestacy." The reference to de-
volution on intestacy is again in the nature of obiter dicta.
B
On a consideration of the contehtions mad·~ by the learned counsel
appearing for both the pqrties we agree with the conclusion reached
by the High Court and dismiss this appeal with costs.

V.D.K. Appeal dismissed .

•