The High Court of Karnataka ruled on February 2, 2026, that under Sections 32 and 33 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925, a mother cannot inherit her deceased son's assets if he died intestate (without a Will) and is survived by a widow and lineal descendants (children). As the son was a Christian, the Indian Succession Act, 1925, applied to this case. This judgement came against the background of an appeal filed by the wife and children of a deceased son. The wife and children sought the intervention of the Karnataka High Court after the trial court rejected their petition for a succession certificate, stating that her husband's mother is his legal heir.