Karnataka high court upholds Hindu Succession Act provision on royals

Karnataka high court upheld Section 5(ii) of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, which exempts estates passing to a single heir under merger agreements with former princely rulers.

Justice MGS Kamal dismissed petitions by descendants of the erstwhile royal families of Mysuru and Sandur, who argued the provision became redundant after the 26th Constitutional Amendment of 1971 abolished privy purses and official recognition of rulers.

The court found that the 1971 amendment abolished privy purses, titles, and sovereign privileges but did not affect succession to impartible estates or ceremonial Gaddis, which remain governed by merger agreements and customary law.

The petitions were filed by Chaduranga Kantharaj Urs, claiming to be son of Gayathri Devi, daughter of last Maharaja of Mysore, and by Venkatrao Y Ghorpade and Gayatri Ghorpade, children of the erstwhile Maharaja of Sandur, in connection with family property disputes.