Supreme Court Upholds Ruling Against Controversial Adoption Deed in Property Dispute

The Supreme Court refused to intervene in an Allahabad High Court decision, rejecting an adoption deed that aimed to exclude daughters from inheriting their father's estate. The ruling emphasized the non-compliance with legal requirements, as the adoption lacked the wife's consent, leaving the daughters' inheritance rights intact.

The Supreme Court of India has declined to intervene in a contentious property dispute, siding with the Allahabad High Court's decision to invalidate a decades-old adoption deed. This case involves Ashok Kumar, who claimed rights to the property of Bhuneshwar Singh through an adoption allegedly conducted in 1967. However, the court found the adoption deed to be a strategic attempt to deprive Singh's daughters, Shiv Kumari Devi and Harmunia, of their rightful inheritance.

The crux of the matter revolves around the non-compliance with essential legal prerequisites for adoption, most notably the absence of consent from Singh's wife. The high court, along with the Supreme Court, noted that the procedural requirements outlined in the Maintenance and Adoption Act 1956 were not met, weakening Kumar's claim.

Justice Surya Kant remarked on the common practice in rural areas to disinherit daughters through dubious adoption proceedings. Upholding the high court's ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized the necessity of adherence to legal sanctities to protect rightful inheritances, marking a noteworthy precedent in property inheritance cases involving adoption.

(With inputs from agencies.)