A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta has set aside the Telangana High Court’s order refusing to recall a September 2020 compromise decree in a partition dispute, holding that the decree, obtained without impleading the heirs of a daughter entitled to a 1/4th share under Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, was a nullity, and has remitted the matter to the High Court for hearing on October 5, 2026.
The Supreme Court held that advocates cannot surrender or compromise a client’s substantive property rights without explicit authorisation. The Court ruled that a compromise decree based solely on a lawyer’s consent, without the client’s signature or approval, is legally unsustainable under the Civil Procedure Code.
The Delhi High Court held that daughters cannot claim inheritance or partition rights in agricultural land where succession opened before the 2005 Hindu Succession Act amendment, ruling that such cases remain governed by the Delhi Land Reforms Act, under which male lineal descendants receive preference in succession.
The Kerala High Court ruled that a daughter born within four months of marriage is legally presumed to be legitimate and entitled to an equal share in her father’s property. The Court set aside a trial court decree, holding that conception before marriage does not defeat the presumption of legitimacy under law.
Justice CT Ravikumar, born on January 6, 1960, became a Supreme Court Judge on August 31, 2021, after over two decades in legal practice. Notably, he authored 39 judgments and emphasized child welfare in custody cases and clarified legal procedural amendments. His retirement is set for January 5, 2025.
