The court finds no restriction in law preventing the eldest female co-parcenor of an HUF, from being its Karta. Karta” denotes managership of a joint family and is traditionally inherited by men.
The Karta occupies a position superior to that of other members and has full authority to manage property, rituals or other crucial affairs of the family. These include taking decisions on sale and purchase of family assets, mutation of property etc.
The ruling came on a suit filed by the eldest daughter of a business family in north Delhi and is significant because it takes the reforms initiated in 2005 to the Hindu Succession Act to its logical conclusion.