VIJAYAWADA: In a significant ruling, the High Court has clarified that a husband has no legal rights over property inherited by his wife from her parental family. The court further held that if a married Hindu woman dies without children, such property will revert to her father’s legal heirs, in accordance with the Hindu Succession Act.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar while hearing a petition filed by Devika Manasa, who sought the inclusion of her name in revenue records for a 1.50-acre land parcel in Pentakota village of Payakaraopeta mandal in Anakapalli district. The land was originally gifted in 2002 by her grandmother, Chikkala Venkayamma, to her granddaughter Srivirita. Revenue records were accordingly updated in Srivirita’s name.
However, Srivirita died in 2005 without children. Subsequently, Venkayamma cancelled the earlier gift deed in 2007 and, in 2011, transferred land to another granddaughter, Devika Manasa. Venkayamma passed away in 2012.
A dispute arose when Srivirita’s husband, Badireddy Naga Veera Venkata Srirama Dora, claimed rights over the property. The tahsildar initially ruled in his favour, but the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) later overturned the decision in 2017, directing that the records be updated in Manasa’s name.
The Joint Collector, however, set aside the RDO’s order, stating that a registered gift deed cannot be revoked without approaching a civil court. Challenging this, Devika Manasa and her father approached the High Court in 2023.
After hearing arguments, the court set aside the Joint Collector’s order and upheld the RDO’s decision. It directed authorities to enter Devika Manasa’s name in the revenue records, reaffirming that the husband has no claim over such inherited property.