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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL  APPELLATE JURISDICTION  

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 10752   OF 2013

(Arising out of SLP(C) No.4276/2013)

KANTHAMMA                                  Appellant(s)

                    :VERSUS:

K. SHETTAPPA AND ORS.                      Respondent(s)

O R D E R

Heard  Mr.  Raghupathy,  learned  counsel  in  

support  of  this  special  leave  petition  and  Mr.  

Rajesh Mahale, leaned counsel for the respondent.  

2. Leave granted.

3. Counsel  have  made  their  submissions.  The  

appellant claims to be the daughter of Shettappa and  

she  had  applied  for  the  paternity  test  to  be  

conducted which was opposed by the first respondent  

Shettappa. That application having been allowed he  

filed  a  writ  petition  in  the  High  Court  of

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Karnataka,  bearing  No.20510/2012  which  has  been  

allowed  by  the  learned  Single  Judge  of  the  High  

Court  by  his  order  dated  2.7.2012.  The  learned  

Single Judge has set aside the order directing DNA  

test.   

4. Mr.  Raghupathy,  learned  counsel  for  the  

appellant submits that the appellant has produced a  

document  from  the  school  record  showing  that  the  

appellant  is  the  daughter  of  respondent  No.1  

Shettappa  and  to  further  this  submission,  she  

applied for this test to be done.  

5. Mr. Rajesh Mahale, learned counsel for the  

respondents  on  the  other  hand  submits  that  the  

appellant has no such right to claim any interest in  

the property and he relies upon the judgment of this  

Court, particularly paragraphs 37 & 38, in the case  

of  Revanasiddappa  &  Anr. Vs.  Mallikarjun  &  Ors.,  

2011 (11) SCC 1, which states that the limitation on  

the  allegedly  illegitimate  children  is  that  they  

cannot ask for partition of parents' property but  

they can exercise their right only after the  death  

of their parents.  Mr. Raghupathy  pointed out that

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vide paragraph 47 of the very same judgment, the  

learned  Bench of two Judges has referred the matter  

to  Hon'ble  the  Chief  Justice  of  India  for  

consideration of the matter by a larger Bench. In  

the circumstances, in our view, the appeal requires  

to be allowed.  We set aside the order passed by the  

High Court. The Trial Court will proceed with the  

DNA test as sought by the appellant.  This appeal is  

allowed accordingly.     

..........................J (H.L. GOKHALE)

.........................J  (J. CHELAMESWAR)

New Delhi; November 25, 2013.