Appeal No 870 of 1968
Fromthe Judgment and Order dated 22111967 of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Second Appeal No 43664
GL Sanghi and DN Misra for the appellant
PH Parekh amicus curiae for the respondents
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by KRANNA J
This appeal by special leave is against the judgment of the Madhya Pradesh High Court affirming on second appeal the decision of the trial court and the first appellate court whereby suit for possession of the land in dispute had been decreed in favour of the plaintiff re spondent against the defendant appellant
Laxmi Dayal died in 1952 leaving the lands in dispute and some other properties
He was succeeded by his two widows Shantibai and Bindumati
In 1954 Chandanbai widow of brother of Laxmi Dayal filed civil suit No 34A of 1954 against Shantibai and Bindumati in respect of the property left by Laxmi Dayal
During the pendency of that suit a deed of partition was executed by Shantibai Bindumati and Chandanbai as a result of which each one of them was stated to have become full owner of the property which fell to her share
The partition deed was got registered and necessary mutation entries were made in accordance with that deed
On September 8 1955 Shantibai made a will of the property which fell to her share as a result of partition
in favour of the plaintiff respondent
The suit filed by Chandanbai was disposed of on February 18 1956 in terms of partition deed dated January 13 1955
Shantibai died on May 29 1956
The respondent filed the present suit against Bindu mati defendant appellant for possession of the land in dispute on the allegation that he the respondent had taken possession of the land in dispute in pursuance of the will executed in his favour by Shantibai
The appellant was stated to have relinquished her right of survivorship in the land which fell to the share of Shantibai
The appellant it was further pleaded had taken forcible possession of the land in dispute
The suit was resisted by the appellant on the ground that she had not relinquished her right of survivorship in the land which fell to the share of Shantibai
Shantibai it was further averred had no right to dispose of the said land by will
The trial court accepted the contention of the respondent and decreed his suit
The decision of the trial court was affirmed on appeal by the first appellate court and by the High Court in second appeal
The first question which arises for consideration in this appeal is whether the appellant relinquished her right of survivorship in the property which fell to the share of Shantibai as a result of the deed of partition dated January 13 1955
In this respect we find that each 990 of the three executants stated in that deed that none of them would have any right or claim over the property that fell to the share of other shareholders in partition
it was further stated in the deed Every shareholder may get the property fallen to her share mutated and may take possession thereof and thus may become abso lute owner thereof Every shareholder may get her name separately mutated in Patwari s papers
She may sell it
If other sharehold er claim it it will be contrary to law  
By taking our respective share from the entire property in the parti tion we become separate from the entire property
 When she came into the witness box the appellant admitted that their object in making the partition was that they would be able to dispose of their separate lands in any way they liked
The appellant also stated that as a result of partition each one of the executants of the deed of partition became exclusive owner of the property that fell to her share
In the face of the recitals in the deed of partition and the admissions made by the appellant in the witness box we find no reason whatsoever to disturb the finding of the courts below that the appellant had relin quished her right of survivorship in the property which fell to the share of Shantibai
Sanghi on behalf of the appellant however contends that it is not permissible in Hindu law for a widow to give up her right of survivorship in the property which fails to the share of the co widow even as a result of an agreement
This contention in our opin ion is devoid of force and runs counter to the decision of this Court in the case of Karpagathachi  Ors
vs Nagarathipathachi1 As observed in that case under the Hindu law as it stood in 1924 two widows inheriting their husband s proper ties took together one estate as joint tenants with rights of survivorship and equal benefi cial enjoyment
They were entitled to en force a partition of those properties so that each could separately possess and enjoy the portion allotted to her see Dhuowan Deen Dobey vs Myna Baee2 Gauri Nath Kakaji vs Gaya Kuar3
Neither of them could without the consent of the other enforce an absolute partition of the estate so as to destroy the right of survivorship see Commissioner of Income tax vs Smt
Indira Balakrishna4
But by mutual consent they could enter into any arrangement regarding their respective rights in the properties during the continuance of the widow s estate and could absolutely divide the properties so as to preclude the right of survivorship of each of the portion allotted to the other see Ramakkal vs Ramasami Naichan 5 Sudalai Ammal vs Gomathi Ammal6
Likewise two daughters succeeding to their father s estate as joint 1  2 3 1928LR 55 IA 299
4  517
5 Mad 522 6  991 tenants with rights of survivorship could enter into a similar arrangement see Kailash Chandra Chuckerbutty vs Kashi Chandra Chuck erbutty 1 Subbammal vs Lakshmanu Iyer2 Ammani Ammal vs Periasami Udavana Such an arrangement was not repugnant to section 6a of the 
The interest of each widow in the properties inherited by her was property and this property together with the incidental right of survivorship could be lawfully trans ferred
Section 6a of the prohibits the transfer of the bare chance of the surviving widow taking the entire estate as the next heir of her hus band on the death of the Co widow but it does not prohibit the transfer by the widow of her present interest in the properties inher ited by her together with the incidental right of survivorship
The widows were competent to partition the properties and allot separate portions to each and inciden tal to such an allotment each could agree relinquish her right of survivorship in the portion allotted to the other
 There is nothing in the decision of Smt
Indira Balakr ishna supra which stands in the way of any mutual arrange ment between the cowidows the effect of which would be to preclude the right of survivorship of each to the portion allotted to the other
The question which actually arose for decision in that case was whether the three widows of a deceased person could have the status of an association of persons within the meaning of section 3 of the Indian In come tax Act 1922
This question was answered in the negative
While discussing this question this Court observed that though the widows take as joint tenants none of them has a right to enforce an absolute partition of the estate against the other so as to destory the right of survivorship
The question as to whether the right of survivorship could be relinquished as a result of mutual agreement did not arise for consideration in that case
This question was dealt with in the case of Karpagathachi supra and it was held after noticing the decision in Smt
Indira Balakrishna s case supra that such relinquishment of the right of survivorship was permissible as a result of mutual arrangement
Lastly it has been argued by Mr Sanghi that even though Shantibai became entitled to dispose of during her life time the property which fell to her share as a result of the deed of partition she could not bequeath the same by means of a will
This submission too
is devoid of force and we agree with Mr Parekh who argued the case amicus curiae that the power of Shantibai to make a will in respect of the property in dispute was co extensive with her power to transfer it inter vivos
The question as to what effect the will would have on the right of the male rever sioner if any of Laxmi Dayal need not be gone into in this case
So far as Bindumati appellant is concerned we have no doubt that in the light of the arrangement contained in the deed of partition dated January 13 1955 she cannot resist the 1 cal
2  3 1923 45 MLI 1 992 claim of the plaintiff respondent who is a legatee under the will of Shantibai
To hold otherwise would be tantamount to permitting the appellant to assert her right of survivor ship in the property which fell as a result of partition to the share of Shantibai even though the appellant has relin quished such right of survivorship
The appeal consequently fails and is dismissed
As no one appeared on behalf of the respondent we make no order as to the costs of the appeal
PHP Appeal dismissed


Summary:
One Lakshmi Dayal died in 1952 leaving behind two wid ows appellant and Shantibai
In 1954 Chandanbai widow of brother of Laxmi Dayal filed a suit against the appellant and Shantibai in respect of the properties left by Lakshmi Dayal
During the pendency of the said suit the appel lant Shantibai and Chandanbai executed a partition deed alloting different properties to each one of the widows
The partition deed was registered and necessary mutation entries were made
The suit filed by Chandanbai was dis posed of in terms of the Partition Deed
In September
1955 Shantibai made a will in favour of the respondent and she died on 29 5 1956
After her death the appellant took forcible possession of the suit land from the respondent
The respondent therefore filed a suit against the appel lant for possession of the land in dispute
The Trial Court the first Appellate Court and the High Court in Second Appeal came to the conclusion that the appellant had relinquished her right of survivorship in lands which fell to the share of Shantibai and therefore decreed the respondefts suit
In an appeal by Special Leave the appellant contended 1
The appellant did not relinquish her right of survivorship
It is not permissible for a Hindu co widow
to give up her right of survivorship even by an agreement
Even if right of survivorship can be given up during the lifetime of the widows con cerned the property could have been trans ferred inter vivos but could not have been disposed of by a will
Dismissing the appeal HELD 1
It is clear from the Partition Deed and the evidence of the appellant herself that she had relinquished her right of survivor ship
The findings of all the courts below to the effect that the appellant relinquished her right of survivorship are correct
990 B C 2
It is permissible under Hindu Law for a co widow to relinquish by agreement her right of survivorship  in the property which falls to the share of the other widow
990 G Karpagathachi  Ors
vs Nagarathipathachi  followed
Bhuowan Deen Doobey vs Myna Baee  Gauri Nath Kakaji vs Gaya Kaur 1928 LR 55 IA 299 re ferred
Commissioner of Income Tax vs Smt
Indira Balakrishna   517 distinguished
Ramakkal vs Ramasami Naichan Mad
522 Sudalai Ammal vs Comathi Ammal  Kailash Chandra Chuckerbutty vs Kashi Chandra Chuckerbutty Cal
339 Subbammal vs Lakshmana Iyer  Ammani Ammal vs Perissemi Udayan re ferred to 3
The power of a co widoW to execute a will in respect of the property falling to her share in the partition with the other co widows is co extensive with her power to trans fer it inter vivos 989