RAMA VERMA BHARATHAN THAMPURAN vs STATE OF KERALA AND ORS.

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Valiamma Thampuram Kovilakam Estate and the Palace Fund (Partition) and the Kerala Joint Hindu Family System (Abolition) Amendment Act, 1978, challenging the omission of Sections 4 and 5 from the Principal Act 16 of 1961 as violating Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution. The Court emphasized that the public policy behind Section 7 of the 1961 Act, which excludes civil court jurisdiction, is justified due to the unique circumstances of the royal family and the impracticality of partitioning the estate among a large number of members. The special leave petition was dismissed, affirming the legislative intent to manage the estate effectively amidst the complexities of royal lineage and property division.