In Brief
This appeal concerns the succession to a wakf (Islamic religious endowment) in West Bengal. After the last male mutawalli (manager) died without sons, his widow Nazira Khatoon sought appointment as mutawalli based on a trust deed he executed. The Supreme Court held that: (1) a mutawalli cannot unilaterally transfer his office through a trust deed unless the original wakf deed expressly permits it; (2) the wakf deed's term "putro poutradi krome" means male descendants only, excluding women; and (3) Nazira Khatoon and her daughters had no right to the mutawalliship. The appointment was cancelled, and the office passed to a male descendant of the original founder. The appeal was dismissed.
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