149. The provisions in Sections 8 and 15 show discrimination
between Hindu males and females. They show discrimination
only on the ground of gender. The family unit or the tie may be
a justification, but the discrimination is not upon family ties. The
classification made is not upon family ties. The classification is
wholly and only between males and females. The female
acquiring property by her own skill and exertion would deprive
herself of allowing it to succeed to her own heirs being her
mother and father or their heirs in preference to the heirs of the
husband under Section 15(1)(b) as was the lot of the Petitioners
in the case of Omprakash Vs. Radhacharan 2010(1) All MR
453 in which the Constintutional Validity was not brought up for
consideration. Years of toil and skill would, therefore, be
watered down as would be seen in Suit No.86 of 2000.
Conversely a Hindu female who would otherwise hope to
succeed to an estate of another Hindu female as an heir would
receive a setback from the distant relatives of the husband of the
deceased not even known to her or contemplated by her to be
her competitors except upon claiming precedence as class II
heirs under Section 8 or as preferential heirs under section 15(1)
Mr. Bidyut Kumar Banerjee, learned Senior Advocate appearing for
the petitioner vehemently argues that two applications namely an
4
application for injunction and an application for vacating an ad interim
order of injunction were disposed of, may be by a single order, one appeal
against the said order is not competent. According to him when two
applications are disposed of there should be two independent appeals
which should be filed and a single appeal is not entertainable. He
succinctly argues that Order 43 Rule 1 (r) of the Code postulates that an
appeal shall lie from an order passed under Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 2A, Rule 4
or Rule 10 of Order 39 and thus the legislative intent behind incorporating
comma after each sub-rule of Order 39 is that against an order passed
under each of such Rule of Order 39, an independent appeal lies. He
further argues that while interpreting the provision of the statute the court
should not be swayed by the sympathy and relies upon a judgment in case
of Omprakash & Ors. Vs. Radhacharan reported in 2009 (3) ICC 48 (SC).
In Omprakash vs. Radhachandran reported in 2009 (15) SCC 66, there is a discussion on Section 15 of the said Act in the context of the distinction sought to be pleaded between the self-acquired property and a property inherited by a woman. The law was silent with regard to such distinction for a self-acquired property of a woman. The Honourable Supreme Court observed that sentiment or sympathy alone would not be a guiding factor in determining the rights of the parties which are otherwise clear and unambiguous. It, thus, observed that the normal rule of succession intestate, as provided by the statute, would operate.
19. Apart from the decision cited by the learned counsel for the first respondent/plaintiff, in similar situation, the Hon'ble Apex Court in the decision reported in (2009) 15 SCC 66 (Omprakash and others Vs. Radhacharan and others) wherein in para Nos. 9 to 15 were held as follows:
65. Merely because a case appears to be hard, it cannot permit the
invocation of a different interpretation of a statutory provision which is
otherwise impermissible. It is now a well settled principle of law that
sentiment or sympathy alone would not be a guiding factor in determining
the rights of the parties which are otherwise clear and unambiguous as
observed by the Apex Court in Omprakash vs Radhacharan, (2009) 15 SCC
36. It is settled law that sentiment or sympathy alone would not
be a guiding factor in determining the rights of the parties
which are otherwise clear and unambiguous. (See:
Omprakash and Others v Radhacharan and Others21).
21 (2009) 15 SCC 66