In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the grandsons of Sengalani Chettiar who claimed inheritance from his separate property. Their father, Chandran, had executed a Release Deed in 1975 relinquishing prospective succession rights to the property in exchange for valuable consideration from Sengalani Chettiar. After Chandran's death in 1978 and Sengalani Chettiar's death in 1988, the grandsons claimed their shares as Class I heirs. The Court held that equitable estoppel arising from Chandran's conduct—executing the deed for consideration and misleading his father into believing he had no further claim—bound not only Chandran but also his successors. The estoppel principle superseded the succession rights under the Hindu Succession Act, and persons claiming through an estopped party cannot circumvent that estoppel.
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