Property Dispute Unveiled
A significant legal challenge concerning a prime 2.70-acre property in Sholinganallur, Chennai, once owned by the iconic late actress Sridevi, has been
definitively resolved. The dispute arose from claims made by MC Sivakami, MC Natarajan, and Chandrabhanu, who asserted they were the legal heirs of the late MC Chandrasekaran. These plaintiffs contested the 1988 sale deeds through which Sridevi, along with her mother and sister, acquired the land. Their core argument centered on the allegation that the original sellers lacked legitimate title to the property. The plaintiffs maintained that the land was initially part of a larger tract purchased by MC Sambanda Mudaliar in 1943 and that they only became aware of the subsequent transactions and alleged fraud in 2023, after a 'patta' (record of land ownership) was issued in favor of Boney Kapoor and his daughters, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor.
Court Dismisses Claims
The Madras High Court, presided over by Justice T V Thamilselvi, has emphatically dismissed the civil suit and set aside a prior order from the Chengalpattu court that had refused to reject the plaint. Producer Boney Kapoor and his daughters Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor had appealed to the High Court, seeking the dismissal of the suit under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Their legal team presented a strong defense, highlighting that the plaintiffs were not recognized as Class I legal heirs of MC Chandrasekaran. Crucially, they pointed out that Chandrasekaran himself had never contested the 1988 sale deeds during his lifetime, despite passing away in 1995, and the suit was filed a substantial 30 years later, in 2025. The High Court concurred, deeming the lawsuit to be barred by limitation due to the nearly four-decade delay since the sale deeds were executed.
Unsubstantiated Legal Basis
Further strengthening the Kapoor family's position, the High Court identified critical flaws in the plaintiffs' legal standing. The court noted the plaintiffs' failure to disclose that MC Chandrasekaran's first wife, Banumathi, was alive at the time of his death, which significantly impacts the legitimacy of their heirship claims. Additionally, the court observed that the legal heir certificate presented by the plaintiffs had already been invalidated. This led the court to conclude that the plaintiffs' purported claim as legal heirs of MC Chandrasekaran was 'not sustainable in law.' The assertion by the plaintiffs that they only learned of the property transaction in 2023 was also met with strong skepticism by the court, which described it as 'totally unbelievable'.
Upholding Family Inheritance
The High Court's final judgment unequivocally confirmed that after the passing of Sridevi, the property rightfully devolved upon her husband, Boney Kapoor, and their daughters, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor. The court characterized the civil suit as a deliberate and 'vexatious' attempt to unjustly acquire the property, stating that the plaintiffs had initiated the partition suit by 'abusing process of law.' By allowing the revision petition filed by Boney Kapoor and his daughters, the High Court effectively nullified the trial court's earlier decision and rejected the plaint altogether, bringing a conclusive end to this protracted legal dispute and solidifying the Kapoor family's rightful ownership.
