Vadodara Doctor’s Crores-Worth Estate Triggers Legal Battle Between Wife, Daughter and Domestic Help; Sessions Court Orders Fresh Trial

A legal dispute over the estate of a deceased government medical college professor in Gujarat has taken a fresh turn, with a Sessions Court setting aside a trial court decision and ordering a fresh hearing in a case involving movable and immovable assets worth crores.

The dispute involves the doctor's wife and daughter, who claim to be his legal heirs, and a woman who worked as his domestic help. The woman has claimed that she was the doctor's wife and produced a registered will allegedly executed in her favour, leaving her his properties and nomination rights.

In 2019, the trial court dismissed the suit filed by the professor's wife and daughter after they failed to establish their claims through evidence. They challenged the decision before the Sessions Court, which has now remanded the matter to the trial court for a fresh trial.

Doctor's Death in 2010 Led to Dispute Over Property

According to the case details, the doctor had served as a professor at medical colleges in Vadodara and other cities in Gujarat. He married in 1982, and the couple had a daughter.

However, marital discord led to separation. The professor had filed for divorce, while his wife had separately sought maintenance. A court had earlier directed him to pay her ₹4,000 per month.

After the professor's death in 2010, a dispute emerged over his estate. His wife and daughter approached the court, claiming entitlement as his legal heirs to his employment-related benefits, including provident fund, gratuity and pension, along with proceeds from his LIC policies.

They also sought rights over three immovable properties in Vadodara: a house in Pratapnagar, a flat in Nizampura and another house in Manjalpur.

Domestic Help Claims Doctor Executed Registered Will in Her Favour

The woman who had worked as the professor's domestic help also laid claim to the estate. She maintained that she had lived with him as his wife and looked after him during his illness and old age.

According to her claim, she provided care and assistance when the professor was in his final days, including accompanying him to hospital and looking after him at home. She argued that he was pleased with her service and had executed a registered will in her favour before the Sub-Registrar, in the presence of witnesses.

The woman claimed that the will transferred all the professor's properties and rights to her. She also relied on video evidence submitted on DVD to support her claim.

Insurance Policies and Nomination Rights Also Disputed

The estate dispute extends beyond the three properties to the professor's financial investments and employment-related benefits.

His wife claimed that he had earned a substantial monthly salary and accumulated savings in bank accounts and investments. However, as they were living separately, she said she did not have precise details of his accounts and investments.

She also alleged that the domestic help had registered herself as the nominee for the professor's LIC and Birla Sun Life insurance policies.

The wife and daughter sought the professor's provident fund, gratuity, pension and other financial benefits, maintaining that they were entitled to them as his legal heirs.

Trial Court Dismissed Suit After Wife Failed to Appear for Cross-Examination

During the original proceedings, the wife submitted an affidavit for her examination-in-chief. However, she subsequently failed to appear for cross-examination, resulting in the forfeiture of her right to lead evidence.

The documents submitted by the plaintiffs could not be formally proved. The trial court concluded that the wife and daughter had failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish their claims and dismissed the suit in 2019.

Government departments and insurance companies named in the case had stated that they would abide by the court's final decision in accordance with the nominations and legal documents available on record.

State Government, PF Commissioner and Insurers Among Defendants

Apart from the domestic help, several government authorities and institutions have been named as defendants in the legal dispute.

These include the State Government, the Dean of the concerned college, the City Survey Superintendent, the Provident Fund Commissioner, the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and Birla Sun Life Insurance.

With the Sessions Court now directing a fresh trial, the dispute over the professor's properties, insurance proceeds and employment-related financial benefits will return to the trial court for reconsideration.