01 January,2026 08:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Bombay High Court. File pic
The Bombay High Court (HC) on Thursday flagged the irony of a society that projects the ideal of âVasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family)' to the world while families at home remain embroiled in bitter inheritance disputes, news agency PTI reported.
Observing that protracted property feuds are "classic examples" of the disconnect between ancient values and contemporary realities, the court expressed a "solemn and optimistic hope" that such family litigation would be curtailed in the larger interest of society.
A bench of Justice MS Sonak and Justice Advait Sethna made the remarks while dismissing a petition filed by a daughter seeking a letter of administration in respect of her late mother's Will, which bequeathed a family property in suburban Bandra to her and two of her brothers, PTI reported.
Two other brothers, who were excluded from the mother's Will but had earlier been named as executors in their father's Will, raised doubts over the genuineness of the mother's Will, alleging that it was executed under undue influence and collusion.
Refusing to issue the letter of administration, the court said it found suspicious and doubtful circumstances surrounding the mother's Will.
"The appellant (daughter), despite being the propounder of the Will, has not satisfied the conscience of this Court in dispelling the same, despite there being a legal obligation to do so," the HC said.
While dismissing the plea, the bench noted that although the phrase âVasudhaiva Kutumbakam' is frequently invoked in contemporary times, cases such as the present one highlight stark contradictions - family disputes over property that show no end in sight and culminate in prolonged litigation, PTI reported.
"This is a tendency that ought to be curtailed in the larger societal interest. We conclude with this solemn and optimistic hope," it said.
The court described the matter as yet another "family saga" involving disputes over two Wills executed by deceased parents.
According to the record, the appellant's parents, who married in 1933, had six children - five sons and a daughter.
The father died in 1976, leaving behind a Will appointing his wife and two sons as executors and trustees of the property. The mother died in 1987, leaving a Will that bequeathed the property to the daughter and two other sons, excluding the remaining two.
Those excluded sons contended that the mother's Will was cryptic and did not explain their exclusion. The daughter, however, maintained that the Will was executed without fraud, collusion or undue influence and that there were no suspicious circumstances.
In its judgment, the high court also noted that the daughter had never opposed the grant of probate in respect of her father's Will.
(With PTI inputs)
