In Brief
The appellant challenged the High Court's reversal of a partition suit involving family property. The property originally belonged to Sharnappa Gaded (died 1957) and passed to his widow and three daughters as absolute owners. One daughter (Nagamma) had a son (plaintiff), who sought partition. The appellant claimed he was adopted by the widow in 1971. The Court held that Section 12(c) of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act prevents an adopted child from divesting pre-adoption property rights. The plaintiff was entitled to 5/64th share (combining his mother's and grandmother's shares), not just 1/16th. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, restored the first appellate court's judgment, and affirmed the plaintiff's larger entitlement.
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