Madras High Court Issues Interim Stay on Sridevi's Property Dispute
Significant Ruling in Sridevi's Estate Case
The Madras High Court has delivered a crucial verdict regarding the ongoing dispute over the estate of the late actress Sridevi. The court has imposed an interim stay on the proceedings taking place in the Chengalpattu Civil Court, effectively halting any further progress in the case. The final hearing has been scheduled for March 26. Sridevi purchased 4.77 acres of land from the family of Sambanda Mudaliar on East Coast Road in Chennai back in 1988. This property has remained under her family's control for the past 37 years. Recently, Natarajan and Shivagami, who are reportedly the children of Chandrasekaran Mudaliar's second wife, claimed to be legal heirs and obtained a certificate to assert their rights, subsequently filing a civil suit in the Chengalpattu Additional District Court for a share of the property.
In response to this lawsuit, Sridevi's husband, Boney Kapoor, along with their daughters, actresses Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor, filed a petition in the Chengalpattu Court seeking to dismiss the case. However, the court rejected their plea, stating that ownership rights could only be determined after the full trial. In light of this ruling, Boney Kapoor, Janhvi, and Khushi approached the Madras High Court, alleging that the claimants obtained the legal heir certificate based on fraudulent documents. They argued that the actual owner resided in Mylapore, but the claimants secured the certificate through false documentation from the Tambaram Tehsildar's office in 2005.
The petitioners further contended that the claim of a second marriage while the first wife was still alive is legally invalid, thus denying the second wife's children any inheritance rights. They asserted that the Chengalpattu Court erred in dismissing their petition.
The case was heard by Justice T.V. Tamilselvi's bench, which, after considering arguments from all parties, postponed the matter for final hearing until March 26. Additionally, the court placed an interim stay on all proceedings in the Chengalpattu Court until that date. This ruling comes as a relief for Sridevi's family, as it prevents any new actions from being taken in the Chengalpattu Court during this period.