In Brief
Basanti Devi and heirs sued for possession of agricultural land that was held under a 1932 compromise decree by Sheo Lal (a non-family member) with limited rights and no power to alienate. On Sheo Lal's death in 1961, his widow Chhimli held the property until her death in 1976. The Court held that Chhimli's right did not enlarge into absolute ownership under Section 14(1) of the Hindu Succession Act because her right stemmed from the compromise decree and was not a pre-existing entitlement. As a widow, she could not acquire better rights than her husband possessed, and the property would revert to the original heirs upon her death as the compromise provided. The appeal was dismissed.
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