MADANLAL PHULCHAND JAIN vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ORS.

The Supreme Court held that under Section 45(2) of the Maharashtra Agricultural Land (Ceiling on Holding) Act, 1961, property inherited from a maternal uncle is considered separate property and not ancestral. The Court clarified that a Hindu can possess both ancestral and separate property, and the birth or adoption of a son does not affect the disposition of separate property. The appellant's claim of blending his inherited property with ancestral property was rejected, as it requires clear evidence of intent to abandon separate rights, which was not established in this case.