Hindu Succession Act, 1956 — back to Table of Contents
Section 15. General rules of succession in the case of female Hindus.
(1) The property of a female Hindu dying intestate shall devolve according to the rules set out in section 16,—
(a) firstly, upon the sons and daughters (including the children of any pre-deceased son or daughter) and the husband;
(b) secondly, upon the heirs of the husband;
(c) thirdly, upon the mother and father;
(d) fourthly, upon the heirs of the father; and
(e) lastly, upon the heirs of the mother.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1),—
(a) any property inherited by a female Hindu from her father or mother shall devolve, in the absence of any son or daughter of the deceased (including the children of any pre-deceased son or daughter) not upon the other heirs referred to in sub-section (1) in the order specified therein, but upon the heirs of the father; and
(b) any property inherited by a female Hindu from her husband or from her father-in-law shall devolve, in the absence of any son or daughter of the deceased (including the children of any pre-deceased son or daughter) not upon the other heirs referred to in sub-section (1) in the order specified therein, but upon the heirs of the husband.
State Amendment — Kerala
By the Hindu Succession (Kerala Amendment) Act, 2016 (Kerala Act 17 of 2016), a clause (c) was inserted after clause (b) of sub-section (2): any property inherited by a female Hindu from her pre-deceased son shall devolve, not upon the other heirs referred to in sub-section (1) in the order specified therein, but upon the heirs of the pre-deceased son from whom she inherited the property.
