Mudigowda Gowdappa Sankh & Ors vs Ramchandra Ravagowda Sankh & Anr on 9 January, 1969
In the case of AIR 1969 SC 1076 Mudigowda Gowdappa
Sankh and others Vs. Ramchandra Revgowda Sankh (dead) by his
legal representatives and another, the Apex Court has held at paragraph 6
that there is no presumption that a Hindu family merely because it is
joint, possesses any joint property. The burden of proving that any
particular property is joint family property, is, therefore, in the first
instance upon the person who claims it as coparcenary property. But
if the possession of a nucleus of the joint family property is either
admitted or proved, any acquisition made by a member of the joint
family is presumed to be joint family property. This is however
subject to the limitation that the joint family property must be such as
with its aid the property in question could have been acquired. It is
only after the possession of an adequate nucleus is shown, that the
onus shifts on to the person who claims the property as self-
acquisition to affirmatively make out that the property was acquired
without any aid from the family estate.