In a recent judgement, the Karnataka High Court clarified the application of Section 15(2)(a) of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 holding that if a Hindu woman dies without leaving any children, the property inherited from her father will revert to her father's heirs, not her husband's. 

This ruling came from the case BN Sreekanta Swamy vs Uma Mahesh, where the court overturned a lower court's decision that had granted the deceased woman's husband the status of legal heir to property she had inherited from her father. 

This decision reaffirms the specific provisions of the Hindu Succession Act, underscoring the importance of lineage in the distribution of inherited property. 

If Hindu women wish to decide who they’d like to leave their assets behind to, the only way to do it is by making a Will.

Read the full judgement here: https://www.verdictum.in/amp/court-updates/high-courts/karnataka-high-court-bn-sreekanta-swamy-v-uma-mahesh-2024khc5163-section-152-hindu-succession-act-1524757