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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
SECOND APPEAL NO. 567 OF 2007
IN
REG. CIVIL APPEAL NO. 222 OF 1992
IN
REG. CIVIL SUIT NO. 215 OF 1978
1. Shri Shahaji Kisan Asme )
Age 41 years )
2. Smt. Hirabai Kisan Asme, )
Age 36 years, ig )
3. Shri Netaji Kisan Asme )
Age 34 years, )
4. Smt. Vimal Kisan Asme, )
Age 50 years, Occupatin of 1 to 4 )
5. Shri Yashoda Hanmant Kadam )
Age 43 years, Occu: agricultgurist, )
All R/o. Ganeshwadi, Taluka Kharav, )
Dist. Satara. ).. Appellants
(Nos.1 to 4 orig. Plffs &
No.5 orig. deft.No.3).
Versus
1. Shri Sitaram Kondi Asme )
since deceased by his heirs )
Appellant Nos. 1 to 4 and )
Respondent No.3. )
2. Shri ramchandra Gangaram pawar, )
Age 40 years, Occu: Agriculure )
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3. Smt. Kalavati @ Parubai Shankar )
Kshirsagar, )
Age 65 years, Occu: Agriculture. )
4. Smt. Khashibai Parshuraom Bhosale )
Age 55 years, Occu: Agricultural, )
(Deceased through her heirs) )
4a. Ashok Parashuram Bhosale )
Age 55 years, Occu: Driver. )
4b. Subhash Parashuram Bhosale )
Age 45 years, Occu: Business. )
Permanent Address: Hingnul, )
Tal. Karad, Dist. Satara. )
Both at present R/o. Tadakeshwar
ig )
Bhayyachi Chawl, Room Nos.2 & 3, )
Gufa Road, Gufa Takadi, Ramwadi, )
Jogeshwari, Bombay - 60. )
5. Smt. Kusum Nana Jagadale, )
Age 50 years, Occu: Agricultural. )
6. Smt. Bhagirathi Kisan Asme, )
Age 60 years, Occu: Agriculture, )
Nos. 2, 3 6 residents of Ganeshwadi, )
Taluka Kharva, Dist. Satara. )
No. 4 at Chikhali,Taluka Karad, )
Dist. Satara. No. 5 at Hiingnule, )
Taluka Karad, Dist. Satara. )
No.7 at Revalkarwadi, Taluka )
Khatav, Dist. Satara. )..Respondents
Mr. G.S.Godbole, Advocate, a/w Ms. Manjiri Parasnis, advocate, for the
appellants..
Mr.Dilip Bodake, Advocate, for respondent nos. 2, 3, 4b & 5.
CORAM: J.H.BHATIA,J.
DATE : 24th September, 2009.
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JUDGMENT
1. Second Appeal is filed by the original plaintiffs being aggrieved by
refusal of shares to them in the property of their grandparents.
2. Before dealing with the question of law raised in this Appeal, it will be
useful to state the facts in brief. Defendant No.1 – Sitaram had two sons,
namely, Kisan and defendant No.2 – Ramchandra. Defendant Nos. 4, 5
and 6 are the daughters of Sitaram. His son Kisan died in 1968, leaving
behind his first wife Bhagirathibai, who is defendant No.7, second wife
Vimal, who is plaintiff No.4 and three sons, who are plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3
and a daughter, who is defendant No.3. They are children from his second
wife Vimal. The plaintiffs i.e. the sons and the second wife of Kisan, filed
Regular Civil Suit No.215 of 1978 seeking partition and separate
possession of the joint family property. According to them, defendant no.2
Ramchandra was given in adoption to one Gangaram Pawar and,
therefore, he did not have any right, title or interest in the suit properties
which are ancestral and join family properties in the hands of Sitaram and
other members of the joint family. The defendant No.2, who is the main
contesting defendant, denied that he was given in adoption. According to
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him, said Gangaram Pawar is his maternal grandfather and therefore he
could not have been lawfully given in adoption to said Gangaram Pawar.
He also contended that some of the suit properties are his self-acquired
property and his father Sitaram had bequeathed his share in the remaining
property to him under a Will. He also contended that the plaintiff No.4 was
not lawfully wedded wife of Kisan and the plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3 and
defendant No.3 are not the legitimate children of Kisan. Therefore, they
cannot claim any share in the ancestral property of the joint family.
3. Several issues were framed by the trial Court. After hearing the
evidence led by the parties, the trial Court came to conclusion that plaintiff No.4
Vimal was not lawfully wedded wife of Kishan because his first marriage with
defendant no.7 Bhagirathibai was subsisting when he married plaintiff No.4. As
a result of this, plaintiff No.4 could not claim any share in the property and the
plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3 and defendant No.3 being the illegitimate children of
deceased Sitaram and plaintiff No.4 Vimal, they can claim share only in the share
of deceased Kisan, but not in the joint family property. The trial Court also held
that the plaintiffs had failed to prove that defendant No.2 was given in adoption.
The trial Court held that the defendant no.1 had bequeathed his estate in favour
of defendant No.2 by Will. The claim of defendant No.2 that some properties
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were self-acquired was also accepted. The trial Court came to conclusion that in
the notional partition of the joint family property, on death of Kisan in 1968, his
1/4th share would be inherited by succession by the plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3 and
defendant Nos. 3 and 7, his mother Draupadabai. Accordingly, the trial Court
granted 1/24th share in the property to each of the plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3 and
defendant No.3.Draupadabai, wife of defendant No.1 and mother of deceased
Kisan and defendant No.2 Ramchandra, died in 1976. However, the trial Court
held that the plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3 and defendant No.3, being it legitimate children
of Kisan, cannot get any share in the estate of their grandmother Draupadabai on
her death.
4. Being not satisfied with the judgment and decree passed by the trial
Court, the plaintiffs preferred Regular Civil Appeal No.222 of 1992. Pending the
appeal, defendant No.1 also died. The first appellate Court upheld the findings of
the trial Court to the effect that defendant No.4 is not legally wedded wife of
deceased Kisan and that the defendant No.2 was not given in adoption .
However, the appellate Court held that none of the properties was self-acquired
property of defendant No.2 and that the defendant No.1 had not bequeathed his
share in the property to defendant No.2. Thus, whole of the property was treated
as the joint family property. However, it was held that the plaintiff No.4 is not
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even entitled to any share in the property and similarly the plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3
and defendant no.3 are held entitled only to share in the share of their father
Kisan, but not in the entire ancestral property. Therefore, the plaintiffs have filed
the Second Appeal. It may be noted that defendant No.2 has not filed any appeal
or cross objection.
5. Even though several grounds were raised in the Appeal Memo and
some additional grounds were also added later on, the learned Counsel for the
plaintiffs/appellants pressed only the following two grounds in this Appeal :-
“1. Whether the Courts below have completely overlooked the
provisions of Section 15(1)(a) of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 andhave failed to note that the Appellants, being the children of
deceased Kisan Sitaram Asme, would also be entitled to succeed to
the estate of Drowpadabai, mother of Kisan, after her death in the
year 1976 and whether the Courts below have failed to allot theshare to the Appellants in the property of the said Drowpadabai ?
2. Whether the Courts below have failed to note that in view of
the settled position of law that the word “son” used in Section 15(1)
(a) of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 is wide enough to include even
the illegitimate son of a Hindu female dying intestate and would also
include the children of predeceased son, whether the Appellants::: Downloaded on – 09/06/2013 15:06:46 :::
7could have been excluded from getting the share in case of intestate
succession in respect of property of deceased Drowpadabai ?
6. In view of death of defendant No. 1 pending the First Appeal and
the grounds raised in the Appeal Memo, following questions of law arise in the
present matter :-
(1) Whether the plaintiffs/appellants Nos. 1 to 3 & defendant No.
3, the children of Kisan would be entitled to succeed to
the estate of Draupadabai, mother of Kisan in view of the
provisions of Section 15(1)(a) of the Hindu Succession Act?.
(2) Whether the plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3 and defendant no.3 would be
entitled to succeed to the estate of defendant No.1 Sitaram as
his grandchildren.?
7. Heard the learned Counsel for the parties. Mr. Godbole, the learned
Counsel for the plaintiffs/appellants vehemently contended that in view of
the difference in the language used in Section 8 read with Schedule and in
Section 15(1)(a) and 15(1)(b) of the Hindu Succession Act, it must be held
that as far as the property of a female is concerned, it can be succeeded by
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8her son and daughter or the children of son and daughter irrespective of
whether the children of such son or daughter one legitimate or illegitimate
and that they should be treated as related to the deceased. On the other
hand, the learned Counsel for the respondent/defendant No.2 vehemently
contended that the provisions of section 15 and the definition of word
“related” in Section 3(1)(j) will have to be read with Section 16 of the
Hindu Marriage Act whereby the legislature granted legitimacy to the
children of void and voidable marriages for a limited purpose of
succeeding to the property of parents only.
8. At this stage, there is no dispute that defendant No.7 Bhagirathibai
was the first wife of deceased Kisan and the plaintiffs had failed to prove that she
was divorced before the marriage of plaintiff No.4 Vimal with Kisan. She was
married to Kisan after the Hindu Marriage Act came into force and at the time of
her marriage, the marriage of Kisan and defendant No.7 was subsisting and it
continued to subsist till death of Kisan.
9. Section 5(i) of the Hindu Marriage Act provides that a marriage
may solemnize between any two Hindus if neither party had a spouse living at
the time of the marriage. Section 11 provides that any marriage solemnized after
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commencement of this Act shall be null and void and may, on a petition
presented by by either party thereto be so declared by a decree of nullity if it
contravenes the conditions specified in clauses (i) ,(iv) and (v) of Section 5.
Therefore, in view of this, the marriage of deceased Kisan and plaintiff No.4
Vimal was void because the first marriage of Kisan was subsisting and his first
wife was living at the time of the second marriage.
10. Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act makes provision for
devolution of interest in the coparcenary property. Section 8 of the Hindu
Succession Act provides general rules of succession in the case of a male dying
intestate. Section 15 provides general rules of succession in case of a female
Hindu who dies intestate. Section 3(1)(j) of Hindu Succession Act defines the
word “related” and it reads as follows :-
“3(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, –
(j) “related” means related by legitimate kinship:
Provided that illegitimate children shall be deemed to be related to
their mothers and to one another, and their legitimate descendantsshall be deemed to be related to them and to one another; and any
word expressing relationship or denoting a relative shall be
construed accordingly.”
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From this, it will be clear that whenever a person is said to be related to another
for the purpose of succession, the relationship must be legitimate and therefore
the illegitimate children shall not be treated as related to any person and cannot
succeed such person. However, the proviso to clause (j) makes an exception and
thereby the illegitimate children shall be deemed to be related to their mother and
to one another and the legitimate descendants of such illegitimate children shall
be deemed to be related to them and to one another. Therefore, in view of this
definition, the plaintiff No.1 to 3 and defendant No.3, who are the illegitimate
children of deceased Kishan and plaintiff no.4 Vimal cannot claim any legitimate
kinship with anybody except their mother and among themselves. Therefore,
they shall be deemed to be related to their mother Vimal and they also shall be
deemed to be related to each other inter-se.
11. Section 15(1) reads as follows :-
“15. General rules of succession in the case of female Hindus – (1)
The property of a female Hindu dying intestate shall devolveaccording to the rules set out in section 16, –
(a) firstly, upon the sons and daughters (including the children of any
pre-deceased son or daughter) and the husband;
(b) secondly, upon the heirs of the husband;
(c) thirdly, upon the mother and father;
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(d) fourthly, upon the heirs of the father; and
(e) lastly, upon the heirs of the mother.”
On careful perusal of Section 15(1)(a) with definition of word “related” in
Section 3(1)(j), it will become clear that the sons and daughters, whether
legitimate or illegitimate, of a female Hindu the children of such pre-deceased
son or daughter are entitled to succeed her. Thus, iIn view of the provisions of
Section 3(1)(j) read with Section 15(1)(a) illegitimate children may inherit the
property of their mother and because they are deemed to be related to each other
they may succeed to each other also. However, there is no other provision in the
Hindu Succession Act under which illegitimate children can succeed to the
property of any other person except their mother or themselves.
12. Hindu Marriage Act was enacted in 1955. Section 16 of the Hindu
Marriage Act, before its amendment in 1976 provided that only those children,
who were born before marriage of their parents was declared to be void, would
be deemed to be legitimate for a limited purpose of inheriting the property of
their parents only. By making an amendment in section 16 by Marriage Laws
(Amendment) Act, 1976, the difference was tried to be done away with between
the children born before the marriage was declared null and void and the children
who were born after. Section 16 reads as follows :-
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“16. Legitimacy of children of void and voidable marriages -(1)
Notwithstanding that marriage is null and void under section 11, 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 (68 of 1976), ad 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 apetition under this Act.
(2)
Where a decree of nullity is granted in respect of a voidable
marriage under section 12, any child begotten or conceived beforethe decree is made, who would have been the legitimate child of the
parties to the marriage if at the date of the decree it had been
dissolved instead of being annulled, shall be deemed to be theirlegitimate 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 12,any rights n 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 byreason o his not being the legitimate child of his parents.”
In view of sub-section (1) of section 16, a child of a marriage which is null and
void, who would have been legitimate if the marriage had been valid, shall be
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deemed to be a legitimate child. However, sub-section (3) provides that such
children of null and void marriage or the marriage which is annulled by a decree
of nullity under Section 12 shall not be entitled to rights in or to the property of
any person other than the parents. Section 16(3) makes an important provision
in respect of succession to the property of parents and, therefore, it will have to
be read along with the provisions of Hindu Succession Act. In view of the
provisions of Section 16 of the Hindu Marriage Act, a child of a null and void
marriage is also entitled to succession to the estate of its father under Section 8
and of mother under Section 15(1)(a) of the Hindu Succession Act. However, the
word “parent” connotes father or mother and the meaning of word `parent’
cannot be extended beyond that. `Parent’ cannot mean parents of parent or the
grand-parents.
13. Mr. Godbole tried to contend that in the schedule read with Section 8
of the Hindu Succession Act words used are son, daughter, son of a pre-deceased
son, daughter of a pre-deceased son, son of a pre-deceased daughter,daughter of
a pre-deceased daughter, Son of a pre-deceased son of a pre-deceased son and
daughter of a pre-deceased son of a pre-deceased son and like that, which means
only the particular relatives will be entitled to inherit the property of a male
Hindu under section 8. However, as per the language of Section 15(1)(a), the
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property of a female Hindu dying intestate shall devolve upon the sons and
daughter (including the children of any predeceased son or daughter) and the
husband. The learned Counsel contends that on death of Draupadabai, her estate
would devolve upon her sons, including the children of the pre-deceased son. He
contends that the plaintiffs Nos. 1 to 3 and the defendant No.3 are the children of
the deceased Kisan and therefore they are is entitled to succeed to the property of
Draupadabai under clause (a). In my considered opinion, the words used in the
Schedule read with Section 8 and the words used in clause (a) of Section 15(1)
do not support the claim of the plaintiffs. Under Section 8 property of a male
devolves upon, firstly the heirs being the relatives specified in Class I of the
Schedule and then secondly, if there is no Class I heir, then upon the heirs being
relatives specified in Class II of the Schedule. In Class I, certain specified
relatives are provided who could succeed to the property of a male Hindu prior to
the Amendment of 2005, It will be interesting to note that prior to the
Amendment of 2005. Class I included the following relatives:
“Class I
Son; daughter, widow; mother; son of a pre-deceased son; daughter
of a pre-deceased son; son of a pre-deceased daughter; daughter of a
pre-deceased daughter; widow of a pre-deceaed son; son of a pre-
deceased son of a pre-deceased son; daughter of a pre-deceased son::: Downloaded on – 09/06/2013 15:06:46 :::
15of a pre-deceased son; widow of a pre-deceased son of a pre-
deceased son;
[Note: son of a pre-deceased daughter of a pre-deceased daughter;
daughter of a pre-deceased daughter of a pre-deceased daughter;
daughter of a pre-deceased son of a pre-deceased daughter; daughter
of a pre-deceased daughter of a pre-deceased son added to Class I byMarriage Laws (Amendment) Act, 2005].
It is interesting to note that in this, son , daughter, son of a pre-deceased son ,
daughter of a pre-deceased son, son of a pre-deceased daughter, daughter of a
pre-deceased daughter, son of a pre-deceased son of a pre-deceased son, daughter
of a pre-deceased son of a pre-deceased son would be entitled to be the legal
heirs. It shows that the son and daughter of a pre-deceased son and daughter
would be entitled. While son and daughter of a predeceased son of a pre-
deceased son would also be entitled to succeed, son or daughter of a pre-
deceased daughter of a pre-deceased daughter or a daughter of a pre-deceased son
of a pre-deceased daughter or a daughter of a pre-deceased daughter of a pre-
deceased son would not be entitled as heirs of Class I. They were in Class II.
However, they were included in Class I after the amendment of 2005. For the
moment, we are not concerned with the amended provisions. Thus, prior to 2005
Amendment, the legislature had made a difference between son and daughter of
a pre-deceased son of a pre-deceased son on one hand and son and daughter of a
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pre-deceased daughter of a pre-deceased daughter on the other. Thus, while son
and daughter of a predeceased son of a pre-deceased son were heir in the Class I,
the son and daughter of predeceased daughter of pre-deceased daughter would
fall in entry III of Class II. In view of this, in the Schedule, the legislature did not
use the word “children” which is neutral in respect of gender. In section 15(1)(a),
the legislature provided that property of a female Hindu dying intestate shall
devolve upon the sons and daughters including the children of any pre-deceased
son or daughter. The word `children’ includes the sons as well as daughters of a
pre-deceased son or pre-deceased daughter, but it does not go beyond the
grandchildren. If a female Hindu is not succeeded by sons and daughters or
grandchildren and the husband her property would devolve upon the heirs of
her husband or upon her parents or upon heirs of her father and then upon heirs
of her mother.
14. Mr. Godbole tried to find support from Lachman Singh vs. Kirpa
Singh and Ors. (1987) 2 SCC 547, wherein the Supreme Court made the
following observations in para 5 :-
“…The word `sons’ in clause (a) of Section 15(1) of the act includes
(i) sons born out of the womb of a female by the same husband or by
different husbands including illegitimate sons too in view of Section
3(j) of the Act and (ii) adopted sons who are deemed to be sons for::: Downloaded on – 09/06/2013 15:06:46 :::
17purposes of inheritance. Children of any predeceased son or adopted
son also fall within the meaning of the expression `sons’.
On reading the above observations, it only appears that children of a female
Hindu, whether legitimate or illegitimate, as well as children of any pre-deceased
son or adopted son fall within the meaning of expression `son’. It is impossible
to hold from these observations that the illegitimate children of a son of a woman
would be included in the word `son’ within section 15(1)(a). In the present case,
Kisan was the legitimate son of deceased Draupadabai and Sitaram and he could
certainly inherit the property of his parents and he would also be entitled to share
in the coparcenary property as a coparcener. However, he had died during the
lifetime of his father as well as mother. The plaintiffs Nos. 1 to 3, who sought
partition and share in the property, are the illegitimate children of deceased Kisan
and the plaintiff no.4 Vimal. In view of the definition of word `related’ in
section 3(1)(j) read with Section 15(1), they can succeed and inherit the property
of their mother Vimal and in view of Section 16(3) of the Hindu Marriage Act,
they can also succeed to their mother as well as father. Section 16(3) makes it
abundantly clear that they would be entitled to inherit the property of their
parents only and no other relations. They being illegitimate children cannot be
deemed to be related to the grandparents which necessarily requires that the
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children must be legitimate. Therefore, they cannot claim any right over the
property of their grandparents. While taking this view, I am supported by several
authorities.
15. In Jinia Keotin and Ors. vs. Kumar Sitaram Manjhi and Ors.
(2003) 1 SCC 730, the Supreme Court observed as follows :-
“4. We have carefully considered the submissions of the learned
counsel on either side. The Hindu Marriage Act underwent important
changes by virtue of the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act,1976, whichcame into force with effect from 27-5-1976. Under the ordinary law, a
child for being treated as legitimate must be born in lawful wedlock. If
the marriage itself is void on account of contravention of the statutoryprescriptions, any child born of such marriage would have the effect, per
se, or on being so declared or annulled, as the case may be, of
bastardizing the children born of the parties to such marriage.
Polygamy,which was permissible and widely prevalent among the
Hindus in the past and considered to have evil effects on society, came to
be put to an end by the mandate of Parliament in enacting the Hindu
Marriage Act,1955. The legitimate status of the children which
depended very much upon the marriage between their parents being
valid or void, thus turned on the act of the parents over which the
innocent child had no hold or control. But, for no fault of it, the
innocent baby had to suffer a permanent setback in life and in the eyes of
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society by being treated as illegitimate. A laudable and noble act of the
legislature indeed in enacting Section 16 to put an end to a great social
evil. At the same time, Section 16 of the act,while engrafting a rule of
fiction in ordaining the children, though illegitimate, to be treated as
legitimate, notwithstanding that the marriage was void or voidable
chose also to confine its application, so far as succession or inheritance
by such children is concerned to the properties of the parents only.”
“5. So far as Section 16 of the Act is concerned, though it was
enacted to legitimate children, who would otherwise suffer by becoming
illegitimate, at the same time it expressly provides in sub-section (3) by
engrafting a provision with a non obstante clause stipulating
specifically that 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
12 “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 not being the legitimate child of his parents”. In the
light of such an express mandate of the legislature itself, there is no
room for according upon such children who, but for Section 16 would
have been branded as illegitimate, any further rights than envisaged
therein by resorting to any presumptive or inferentia process of
reasoning, having recourse to the mere object or purpose of enacting
Section 16 of the Act. Any attempt to do so would amount to doing not
only violence to the provision specifically engrafted in sub-section (3) of
Section 16 of the Act but also would attempt to court relegislating on the
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subject under the guise of interpretation,against even the will expressed
in the enactment itself. Consequently, we are unable to countenance the
submissions on behalf of the appellants. The view taken by the courts
below cannot be considered to suffer from any serious infirmity to call
for our interference in this appeal.”
16. In Shantaram Tukaram Patil and another vs. Smt. Dagubai
Tukaram Patiland others [1987 Mah.L.R. 777] , the Divisin Bench of this
Court observed as follows :-
“20 We have mentioned earlier that legitimacy had been bestowed
upon the children born of a marriage which was declared to be void
by a decree of nullity before the amendment in 1976. The amendment
of 1976 extended this legitimacy to the children born of a marriagewhich is void, whether it is so declared or not by a decree of nullity.
Section 16(3) of the Hindu Marriage Act by law confers a right upon
such illegitimate children in the property of their parents. Even if it is
regarded that this is a legal fiction, the consequences of that legal
fiction must be extended to their logical end. After examining the
provisions of both the Hindu Marriage Act and the Hindu Succession
Act it would be noticed that if the right attaching to the legitimacy
created by Section 16(3) of the Hindu Marriage Act is not extended to
include the right to the property under the Hindu Succession Act,
section 16(3) will make no sense. In construing the scope of a legal
fiction it is not only proper but even necessary to assume all those
facts on which alone the fiction can operate. Referring to the
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following observations of Lord Asquith in (East End Dwellings Co.
Ltd. v. Finsbury Borough Council 1952 AC 109 at p. 132 the Supreme
Court in I.T. Commissioner v. Teja Singh, AIR 1959 Supreme Court
352, explained the scope of a legal fiction :-
“If you are bidden to treat an imaginary state of affairs as real, you
must surely, unless prohibited from doing so, also imagine as real the
consequences and incidents which, if the putative state of affairs had
in fact existed, must inevitably have flowed from or accompanied it.
One of these in this case is emancipation from the 1939 level of rents.
The statute says that you must imagine a certain state of affairs; it
does not say that having done so, you must cause or permit your
imagination to boggle when it comes to the inevitable corollaries of
that state of affairs.”
In (B.P. Aneie v. Superintendent, Central Jail, Tihar), AIR 1975
Supreme Court 164, the Supreme Court further pointed out :-
“It is now well settled law that where a legal fiction is created, full
effect must be given to it and it should be carried to its logical
conclusion.”
“22. That apart both the Hindu Marriage Act and Hindu Succession
Act belong to a family of laws relating to the same subject. We take it
as settled rule of interpretation that if two legislations which are pari
mateia, taken as form cognate legislations, they form one Code. They,
therefore, should be taken as forming one system and interpreting and
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enforcing each other. This rule of interpretation has received the
approval of the Supreme Court in several decisions (See for example,
(State of Assam v. D.P. Barura) AIR 1969 Supreme Court, 831)…..”.
17. Relying on the Supreme Court authority in Jinia Keotin & Ors. vs.
Kumar Sitaram Manjhi &Ors., the learned Single Judge of this Court in
Marutirau Mane vs. Shrikant Maruti Mane & Ors. 2007 (3) Mh.L.J.813 held
that children of null and void marriage could claim succession or inheritance to
the property of the parents only.
18. `Parent’ does not mean grandparents. In view of this legal position,
the plaintiff Nos. 1 to 3 and defendant No.3 being illegitimate children of
deceased Kisan can inherit the property of their parents i.e. their father alone in
the present circumstances and not the estate of the parents of Kisan. In view of
the legal position, I find no fault in the allotment of shares by the Courts below in
the suit property.
19. for the aforesaid reasons, the Appeal stands dismissed.
(J.H.BHATIA,J.)
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