The provisions of the Hindu Succession Act have overriding effect, enabling the widow to hold the property as absolute owner, and there is no provision to forfeit full ownership on remarriage.

K. VEERASWAMI, C. J. :- This second appeal raises an interesting point as to whether after the Hindu Succession Act. 1956, the disqualification imposed by Section 2 of the Hindu Widows' Re-marriage Act, 1856, continues to have force. The Courts below held that the former Act prevails. On a careful consideration we accept that view. The first plaintiff was the widow of the defendant's brother. Her husband died in 1955. Thereafter she remarried. The defendant was alleged to have trespassed upon the property to which the first plaintiff had succeeded as the heir to her husband and on that claim, she asked for a declaration of her title to the suit properties and for an injunction restraining the defendant from interfering. She also asked for mesne profits in the sum of Rs. 8000, being according to her, the value of 80 bags of paddy cut and carried away by him. The lower appellate court while accepting the decree of the trial court declaring the title of the first plaintiff, remitted the suit to the trial court for fresh disposal after the determination of mesne profits. It directed that an issue should be framed on that question and that the parties should be at liberty to direct evidence on that issue. This the lower appellate court did by allowing the memorandum of cross objection filed by the plaintiffs. The lower appellate court even went so far as to permit the plaintiffs to amend the plaint in this regard.

2. Section 2 of the Hindu Widows' Re-marriage Act. 1856, provided that a Hindu widow on remarriage shall forfeit her right to the property which she had inherited from her husband. Now, does this provision affect the first plaintiff? Learned counsel for the appellant contends that Section 2 of the Hindu Widows' Re-marriage Act has not been expressly repealed by the Hindu Succession Act and that Section 24 itself shows that the legislature was conscious that in case of re-marriage by a widow she should not be able to succeed to her husband. In view of this it is said that the forfeiture provided by Section 2 of the Hindu Widows' Re-marriage Act still obtains and it would deprive the first plaintiff of her right to still hold the property of her husband. Though the point is not free from doubt, a combined reading of Sections 4 (1) (b), 14, 27 and 28 leaves us with the impression that the provisions of the Hindu Succession Act have overriding effect and Section 14 (1), which is absolute and unrestricted in its terms and sweep, enables the first plaintiff to hold the property as absolute owner thereof. The test for the application of Section 14(1) is whether, on the date of the commencement of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, a Hindu female was in possession of any property as a limited owner. If she was, the limited estate would be converted into full ownership. There is nothing in Section 14(1) or any other section to qualify the absolute ownership or to forfeit her full ownership on her re-marriage. It is true the Legislature was certainly conscious of the disqualification based on re-marriage. Section 24 will incapacitate a widow on her re-marriage from succeeding to the property of her husband. But nowhere has it been stated in the Act that once she has succeeded, her subsequent marriage will forfeit her right to hold the property. On the other hand, clause (b) of Section 4(1) makes it clear that "any other law in force immediately before the commencement of this Act shall cease to apply to Hindus in so far as it is inconsistent with any of the provisions contained in this Act." Section 2 of the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act 1856, is to our mind, definitely in conflict with Section 14 (1) which says that, if the widow was possessed of a limited estate at the commencement of the Act. it would be converted into a full ownership in her. The intention of the Hindu Succession Act, whether it is deliberate or not, appears to be as its provisions stand, that a subsequent remarriage will not work forfeiture.That is also co