Aunt’s Will gives adopted girl the house not sister

In a recent case before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the battle for control of a family home led to a younger sister and her husband overstepping boundaries. Mrs Harbhajan Kaur, a widow, owned a six-room house in Ludhiana, built on 79 square yards of land. She had a younger sister, Smt Kaur, and a deceased brother, Mr Tarsem Singh.

As Mrs Harbhajan Kaur was childless, her brother took care of her. When Mrs Harbhajan Kaur's younger sister showed signs of potentially changing the inheritance, she revoked her first Will, removing her sister's name from the property. After her brother's death, Mrs Harbhajan Kaur adopted her younger sister's daughter, escalating tensions.

In January 2010, Mrs Harbhajan Kaur had to leave her house unattended, leading to her younger sister and her husband illegally moving in. Mrs Harbhajan Kaur eventually won the case, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling that the second Will she executed in 2013 designated the house to her adopted daughter. However, Smt Kaur has since challenged the decision in the Supreme Court.