RIGHTS OF HINDU FEMALE GRAND DAUGHTER IN INHERITANCE
A Hindu male died intestate on 12-08-1946 leaving behind his widow and two daughters D1 and D2 in Andhra Pradesh. The widow inherited the immovable property from her late husband, which was devolved from the husband’s grandfather. The widow conveyed the entire estate shared equally between her daughters D1 and D2 by two separate registered settlement deeds, the second to D2 on 19-06-1963.
D2 in turn bequeathed the whole property, only to her six sons exclusive of two of her own daughters except performed marriages GrD1 in 1973 and GrD2 in 1979 by giving negligible streedhan. During 1999 to 2005 followed in subsequent years thereafter, the sons surreptitiously got executed by D2, number of registered Gift and Settlement Deeds, more so said to have obtained from D2 some unregistered signed blank stamped papers to fabricate Will/ Gift in anticipation of any contingency may arise in future, which came to light now, the details of which are unknown. Even the attestors/ witnesses to the transaction in most of the title deeds are the six sons among themselves in group attestation with common document writer. D2 expired on 03-03-2014 survived by all her children living.
The recital of the settlement deed dated 19-06-1963 by the widow to D2 in vernacular inter-alia states "…..I performed your marriage. You are living with your husband and children with me in my house. Upon the death of my husband, the entire ancestral scheduled property retained by my late husband died in testate, has been inherited by me as a legal heir. While hitherto the rights of only enjoyment were vested in me on the said property, the HS Act 1956 now came into force gave me the full rights to gift, sell and enjoyment and hence alienating the scheduled property to you D2, on your enjoyment basis, free of cost, subject to certain conditions stipulated herein. D2 shall enjoy the whole property putra poutra paaramparya svetchagaa (free enjoyment of sons and grandsons lineages) happily with full rights to gift and sell…."
What is the recourse for the two daughters of D2 ie GrD1 and GrD2 ?
