Liability of ancestral property
Full Text
For the purposes of section 50 and section 52, property in the hands of a son or other descendant which is liable under Hindu law for the payment of the debt of a deceased ancestor, in respect of which a decree has been passed, shall be deemed to be property of the deceased which has come to the hands of the son or other descendant as his legal representative.
Plain English Summary
Section 53 creates a statutory legal fiction for Sections 50 and 52, deeming coparcenary and ancestral property held by a son or descendant that is liable for an ancestor's non-immoral debts under Hindu law (pious obligation) to be property of the deceased that devolved upon the descendant as a legal representative.
Key Legal Elements
- Statutory Legal Fiction: Ancestral property deemed to be the property of the deceased ancestor in the hands of descendants.
- Scope: Specifically operates for the purposes of Section 50 and Section 52 executions.
- Non-Avyavaharika Debts: Applies to ancestral debts enforceable under Hindu personal law.
- Direct Execution: Permits attachment and sale of joint family shares without requiring a separate partition suit.
Practical Note
Execution Against Hindu Joint Family Coparcenary Property: (1) Pious Obligation Integration: Bridges execution procedure with classical Hindu law; ancestral property in the hands of sons/descendants is liable for an ancestor's debts unless tainted by immorality/illegality (Avyavaharika debts). (2) Avoids Separate Partition Suit: The decree-holder is not required to file a separate partition suit to demarcate the ancestor's share; the joint family share can be attached and auctioned directly under Sections 50 and 52.
हिंदी पाठ
धारा 50 और धारा 52 के प्रयोजनों के लिए, पुत्र या अन्य वंशज के हाथ में की ऐसी संपत्ति, जो किसी मृत पूर्वज के ऐसे ऋण के संदाय के लिए हिन्दू विधि के अधीन दायी है जिसके संबंध में डिक्री पारित की गई है, मृतक की ऐसी संपत्ति समझी जाएगी जो उसके विधिक प्रतिनिधि के रूप में पुत्र या अन्य वंशज के हाथ में आई है।