[ Mint ] Inheritance under Hindu Succession Act: What happens when an heir converts

The article titled “Inheritance under Hindu Succession Act: What happens when an heir converts” discusses the inheritance rights of a person who has converted from Hinduism to another religion.

Key points from the article are:
– According to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, a person who has converted from Hinduism to another religion, such as Christianity, is not disqualified from inheriting the property of their Hindu relatives.
– The Act stipulates that the descendants of the convert are disqualified from inheriting the property from their Hindu relatives unless they are Hindus at the time of the succession.
– In the event of the demise of a parent without leaving a will, the distribution of their assets would be governed by the Hindu Succession Act, 1956.
– The estate of the deceased is inherited by the legal heirs classified under different categories, with primary preference given to Class I heirs.
– Class I heirs include the sons, daughters, widow, and mother of the deceased, each of whom is entitled to an equal share of the estate.
– If one of the children has converted to another religion, they are not disqualified from inheriting the property of their Hindu relatives.
– However, the descendants of the convert (i.e., the convert’s children) are disqualified from inheriting the property from their Hindu relatives unless they are Hindus at the time of the succession.

This means that a person who has converted from Hinduism to another religion retains their right to an equal share of the inheritance from their parents’ estate. However, their children, if they follow a non-Hindu religion, would not inherit their share if the convert predeceases the parents or if succession moves to the next generation.

Source: Conversation with Copilot
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