Vellikannu vs R. Singaperumal & Anr

The Supreme Court held that under Section 25 and Section 27 of the Hindu Succession Act, a person convicted of murdering their ancestor is excluded from inheriting their estate. The Court affirmed the lower courts' findings that the first defendant, having murdered his father, is deemed to have predeceased him, thus entitling the plaintiff, as the widow, to inherit the entire estate. The appeal by the first defendant was dismissed, reinforcing the principle that criminal conviction impacts inheritance rights.