# ERAMMA v. VERRUPANNA & ORS

- **Citation:** [1966] 2 S.C.R. 626
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1965-11-18
- **Bench:** P. B. Gajendragadkar, M. Hidayatullah, V. Ramaswami
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/eramma-v-verrupanna-ors-3728
- **Pages:** 6

## Headnote

Hindu
Succession
Act
(30 of 1956), ss, 8 and 14(1)-1/ s. 8
retrospecti"ve-Scope of s. 14(1)-Possession by female as trespasser-
!/ title conferred.
On the death of the last male holder of the properties in d'spute his
C
two step mothers got possession of the properties. Claiming to be his
nearest heirs, respondents 1 and 2 filed a suit for recovery of posses.ion
of the properties. After the High Court had, in appeal, passed a decree
in their favour, the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, came into force, and
when respondents I and 2 sought the execution of the decree in their
favour, the appellant (who was one of the step mothers) filed objections,
on the ground that she had been in possession of half the properties since
]}
the death of he.r husband, and that by virtue of the provisions of the
Act, she had become full owner of the properties in her possession. The
executing court accepted the contention and dismissed the
execution
•
•
•
•
petition.
But the appeal to the High Court was allowed on the ground
•
that the Act did not apply.
In her appeal to this Court, the appellant contended that : (i) under
s. 8 of the Hindu Succession Act, she, being the step mother, was entitled
E
to inherit the properties in preference, to respondents 1 and 2, and (ii)
by virtue of s. 14 she became the full owner of the properties and therefore the respondents No. I and 2 could not be allowed to proceed with the
execution.
HELD : (i) The provisions of s. 8 are not retrospective in operation and therefore, where a male Hindu died before the Act came into
force, that is, when succession opened before the Act, the section will
have no application. [629 F]
(ii) At t~ time, of the death of appellant's
husband
the
Hindu
F
Women's Right to Property Act, 1937 had not come into force and so,
when the Hindu Succession Act came into force, the appellant had no
manner of title to the properties. Therefore, though the appellant was in
possession of properties, that fact alone was not sufficient to attract the
operation of s. 14. [629 H; 630 DJ
The object of the section is to extinguish the estate caUed '1imited
estate" or uwidow's estate" in Hindu law and to make a Hindu woman,
who under the old law would
have been only a limited owner, a full
owner of the propeJ'ty with all powers of disposition and to make the
estate heritable by her own heirs and not revertible to the heirs of the
last male holder. It does not in any way confer a title on the female
Hindu when she did not in fact possess any vestige of title. The provisions of s. 14(1) cannot be attracted in the case of a Hindu female
who i• in po'Session of the property of the last male holder on the date
of the commencement of the Act, when she is only a trespasser without
any right to the property. [630 G-H; 631 B, CJ
G
H
....
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•
ERAMMA v. VERRUPANNA (Ramaswami, J.)
627
A

## Text

./
626
ERAMMA
v.
VERRUPANNA & ORS.
November 18, 1965
[P. B. GAJENDRAGADKAR, C.J., M. HIDAYATULLAH AND
V. RAMASWAMI, JJ.]
Hindu
Succession
Act
(30 of 1956), ss, 8 and 14(1)-1/ s. 8
retrospecti"ve-Scope of s. 14(1)-Possession by female as trespasser-
!/ title conferred.
On the death of the last male holder of the properties in d'spute his
C
two step mothers got possession of the properties. Claiming to be his
nearest heirs, respondents 1 and 2 filed a suit for recovery of posses.ion
of the properties. After the High Court had, in appeal, passed a decree
in their favour, the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, came into force, and
when respondents I and 2 sought the execution of the decree in their
favour, the appellant (who was one of the step mothers) filed objections,
on the ground that she had been in possession of half the properties since
]}
the death of he.r husband, and that by virtue of the provisions of the
Act, she had become full owner of the properties in her possession. The
executing court accepted the contention and dismissed the
execution
•
•
•
•
petition.
But the appeal to the High Court was allowed on the ground
•
that the Act did not apply.
In her appeal to this Court, the appellant contended that : (i) under
s. 8 of the Hindu Succession Act, she, being the step mother, was entitled
E
to inherit the properties in preference, to respondents 1 and 2, and (ii)
by virtue of s. 14 she became the full owner of the properties and therefore the respondents No. I and 2 could not be allowed to proceed with the
execution.
HELD : (i) The provisions of s. 8 are not retrospective in operation and therefore, where a male Hindu died before the Act came into
force, that is, when succession opened before the Act, the section will
have no application. [629 F]
(ii) At t~ time, of the death of appellant's
husband
the
Hindu
F
Women's Right to Property Act, 1937 had not come into force and so,
when the Hindu Succession Act came into force, the appellant had no
manner of title to the properties. Therefore, though the appellant was in
possession of properties, that fact alone was not sufficient to attract the
operation of s. 14. [629 H; 630 DJ
The object of the section is to extinguish the estate caUed '1imited
estate" or uwidow's estate" in Hindu law and to make a Hindu woman,
who under the old law would
have been only a limited owner, a full
owner of the propeJ'ty with all powers of disposition and to make the
estate heritable by her own heirs and not revertible to the heirs of the
last male holder. It does not in any way confer a title on the female
Hindu when she did not in fact possess any vestige of title. The provisions of s. 14(1) cannot be attracted in the case of a Hindu female
who i• in po'Session of the property of the last male holder on the date
of the commencement of the Act, when she is only a trespasser without
any right to the property. [630 G-H; 631 B, CJ
G
H
....
---
•
ERAMMA v. VERRUPANNA (Ramaswami, J.)
627
A
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 742 of:
B
c
1965.
Appeal from the judgment and decree dated June 9, 1965 of
the Mysore High Court in R.A. No. 90 of 1957.
S. P. Sinha, E. C. Agarwala and P. C. Agarwala, for the·
appellant.
S. V. Gupte, Solicitor-General, R. V. Pillai, for respondents
Nos. 1 and 2.
M. M. Kshatriya and R. Thiagarajan, for respondent No. 3.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
Ramaswami, J.
This appeal is brought by the Judgment-·
debtor, Eramma against the judgment and decree dated June 9,
1965 in R.A. no. 90 of 1957 of the High Court of Mysore setting·
D
aside the order of the District Judge of Raichur dated February 14,.
1957 dismissing an execution petition.
The appellant-Eramma-and the 3rd respondent-Siddamma:
-were, at the relevant time, widows of Eran Gowda who also
had a third wife-Sharnamma.
By the said Sharnamma, Eran.
E
Gowda had a son called Basanna who died in the year 1347 F.
(corresponding to 1936-37 AD.) at a time when he was the sole
male holder of the property in dispute. After his death his step
mothers Eramma and Siddamma got into possession of the properties.
Respondents 1 and 2 thereafter filed a ;suit in the Sadar
Adalat, Gulbarga claiming that they, as the nearest heirs of BaF sanna, were entitled to all the properties left by him and seeking
to recover possession thereof from his step-mothers-Eramma
and Siddamma. The suit was contested by Eramma on the ground
that she had adopted Sogan Gouda, respondent no. 4 on the basis
of the authority alleged to have been given to her by her husband
Eran Gowda. It was claimed by Siddamma that she had adopted
G Sharnappa, respondent no. 5 on the basis of the authority alleged
· to have been conveyed under a will. The trial court rejected the
case of Eramma but upheld that of Siddamma. On appeal to the
High Court, Siddamma's claim of adoption WJ!S also negatived. In
the result the High Court passed a decree in favour of respondents
1 and 2. Eramma and Siddamma thereafter applied to the High
H
Court for a certificate of fitness to appeal to this Court. Siddamma
was granted such certificate but the High Court refused to grant
a certificate to Eramma who filed an application in this Court for
l
628
SUPREME
COURT
REPORTS
[1966] 2 S.C.R.
special leave. During the pendency of these proceedings the Hindu
Succession Act, 1956 came into force with effect from June 17,
1956. Respondents 1 and 2 have put to execution the decree
granted by the High Court in their favour. Eramma filed an
objection in the Execution Court on the ground that she had been
A
in possession of half the properties since the death of her husband
and the decree was non-executable in view of the provisions of the
B
Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and that she had now become full
owner of the properties of which she is in possession. The case of
Eramma was accepted by the District Judge, Raichur who dismissed the execution case on February 14, 1957. Respondents 1 and
2 preferred an appeal to the Mysore High Court against the order
of the District Judge, dismissing the execution case.
The appeal
was allowed by the High Court on the ground that Hindu Succession Act, 1956 was not applicable to the case and Erai:nma did not
acquire full ownership under s. 14(1) of that Act. The High Court
accordingly set aside the order of the District Judge dated February 14, 1957 dismissing the execution case and restored the execution case to the file of the District Judge for being dealt with in
accordance with Jaw.
c
D
On behalf of the appellant Mr. Sinha contended, in the first
place, that under s. 8 of the Hindu Succession Act the appellant
.being the step mother is entitled to inherit the properties of Baswan
Gouda in preference to respondents 1 and 2. Mr. Sinha conceded E
that Baswan Gouda died on October 23, 1936 long before the
coming into operation of Hindu Succ,ession Act. It was, however,
submitted f9r the appellant that s. 8 of the Hindu Succession
Act was rettospective in operation and the appellant must be held
to be in possession of the properties in her own right. In our
-Opinion, the ·submission of Mr. Sinha is not warranted by the languF
.age of s. 8 which is to the following effect :
"8. The property of a male Hindu dying intestate
shall devolve according to the provisions of this Chapter :-
(a) firstly, upon the heirs, being the relatives specified in class I of the Schedule;
(b) secondly, if there is no heir of class I, then upon
the heirs, being the relatives specified in class II of the
Schedule;
(c) thirdly, if there is no heir of any of the two classes, then upon the aguates of the deceased; and
(d) lastly, if there is no agnate, then upon the
cognates of the deceased."
G
H
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;
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.,
ERAMMA v. VERRUPANNA (Ramaswami, J.)
629
A There is nothing in the language of this section to suggest that it
has retrospective operation. The words "The property of a male
Hindu dying intestate" and the words "shall devolve" occurring in
the section make it very clear that the property whose devolution
is provided for by that section must be the property of a person
who dies after the commencement of the Hindu Succession Act.
B Reference may be made, in this connection, to s. 6 of the Act which
states :
c
D
E
"6. When a male Hindu dies after the commencement of this Act, having at the time of his death an interest in a Mitakshara coparcenary property, his interest in
the property shall devolve by survivorship upon the surviving members of the coparcenary and not in accordance with this Act :
Provided that if the deceased had left him surviving a
female relative specified in class I of the Schedule or a
male relative specified in that class who claims through
such female relative, the interest of the deceased in the
Mitakshara coparcenary property shall devolve by testamentary or intestate, succession as the case may be, under
this Act and not by survivorship.
..
It is clear from the express language of the section that it applies
only to coparcenary property of the male Hindu holder who dies
after the commencement of the Act. It is manifest that the language of s. 8 must be construed in the context of s. 6 of the Act.
We accord~ingly hold that the provisions of s. 8 of the Hindu SucF
cession Act are not retrospective in operation and where a male
Hindu died before the Act came into force i.e., where succession
opened before the Act, s. 8 of the Act will have no application.
It was next contended by the appellant that she was admittedly
in possession of half the properties of her husband Eran Gowda
G after he died in I 34 I F and by virtue of s. 14 of the Hindu Succession Act she became the full owner of the properties and respondents I and 2 cannot, therefore, proceed with the execution case.
We are unable to accept this argument as correct. At the time
•
of Eran Gowda's death the Hindu Women's Right to Property Act,
1937 (Act 18 of 1937) had not come into force. It is admitted by
H
Mr. Sinha that the Act was extended to Hyderabad State with effect
from February 7, 1953. It is manifest that at the time of promulgation of Hindu Succession Act, 1956 the appellant had no. manner
L3Sop.Cl/66-JO
630
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1966] 2 S.C.R.
of title to properties of Eran Gowda. Section 14(1) of the Hindu
A
Succession Act states :
"14. (1) 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 a limited owner.
Explanation.-In this sub-section, "property" includes both movable and immovable property acquired
by a female Hindu by inheritance or devise, or at a
partition, or in lieu of maintenance or arrears of maintenance, or by gift from any person, whether a relative or
not, before, at or after her marriage, or by her own skill
or exertion, or by purchase or by prescription, or in any
other manner whatsoever, and als_o any such property held
by her as stridhana immediately before the commencement of this Act."
B
c
It is true that the appellant was in possession of Eran Gowda's
D
properties but that fact alone is not sufficient to attract the operation of s. 14.
The property possessed by a female Hindu, as
contemplated in the section, is clearly property to which she has
acquired some kind of title whether before or after the commencement of the Act. It may be noticed that the Explanation to s. 14(1)
sets out the various modes of acquisition of the property by a female
E
Hindu and indicates that the section applies only to property to
which the female Hindu has acquired some kind of title, however,
restricted the nature of her interest may be. The words "as full
owner thereof and not as a limited owner" as given in the last
portion of sub-s. (1) of s. 14 clearly suggest that the legislature
intended that the limited ownership of a Hindu female should be
F
changed into full ownership. In other words, s. 14(1) of the Act
contemplates that a Hindu femalei who, in the absence of this
provision, would have been limited owner of the property, will now
become full owner of the same by virtue of this section. The object of the section is to extinguish the estate called 'limited estate'
or 'widow's estate' in Hindu Law and to make a Hindu woman, who
G
under the old law would have been only a limited owner, a full
owner of the property with all powers of disposition and to make
the estate heritable by her own heirs and not revertible to the
heirs of the last male holder. The Explanation to sub-s. ( 1) of
s. 14 defines the word 'property' as including "both movable and
H
immovable property acquired by a female Hindu by inheritance
or devise ........ ". Sub-section (2) of s. 14 also refers to acquisition of property. It is true that the Explanation has not given
•
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•
ERAMMA v. VERRUPANNA (Ramaswami, J.)
631
A any exhaustive connotation of the word 'property' but the word 'ac~
quired' used in the Explanation and also in sub-s. (2) of s. 14 clearly
indicates that the object of the section is to make a Hindu female
a full owner of the property which she has already acquired or
which she acquires after the enforcement of the Act. It does not
in any way confer a title on the female Hindu where she did not
B
in fact possess any vestige of title. It follows, therefore, that the
section cannot be interpreted so as to validate the illegal possession
of a female Hindu and it does not confer any title on a mere trespasser. In other words, the provisions of s. 14(1) of the Act cannot be attracted in the case of a Hindu female who is in possession
of the property of the last male holder on the date of the come mencement of the Act when she is only a trespasser without any
right to property.
D
For these reasons we hold that the judgment of the High Court
is correct and this appeal should be dismissed. We do not propose
to make any order as to costs.
Appeal dismissed .
•