In Brief
Dr. B.C. Singh purchased property jointly with his wife Dr. S.L. Singh. When she died without children, the defendants (distant kindred) claimed co-ownership and a 1/4th share. The Supreme Court held that under the Indian Succession Act, 1925, when an intestate leaves kindred, succession follows a strict priority: nearer kindred exclude distant kindred. The intestate's real sister (Ida Utarid) was the preferential heir, not the distant kindred defendants. The Court ruled the defendants were licensees, not co-owners, and allowed the plaintiff's eviction suit, restoring the First Appellate Court's decree.
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