SAMBUDAMURTHI MUDALIAR vs STATE OF MADRAS AND ANR.

The Supreme Court held that under Section 6(9) of the Madras Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1951, the phrase 'succession to whose office is regulated by usage' applies only when ordinary rules of succession are modified by usage. The Court ruled that since the appellant was elected as a trustee for a fixed period of one year, there is no succession to the office, as a vacancy arises after the term, and a person cannot be a successor to oneself. The appeal was dismissed, affirming the Madras High Court's decision that the trusteeship was not hereditary.