The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that a will disinheriting a life-long loving wife and bequeathing property to distant relatives raises suspicion about its authenticity.The court emphasized that such wills, especially penned by illiterate individuals, require thorough scrutiny.A widow from Himachal Pradesh secured ancestral property rights after a 33-year legal battle, challenging a Himachal High Court (HC) judgment.

The SC bench, comprising Justices Manoj Misra and K V Viswanthan, highlighted the absurdity of a man executing a will in 1974, years before his death in 1992, to gift land to his brother's children.

The court noted the will's false claims about relatives caring for the deceased, which, combined with the testator's illiteracy, cast doubt on its validity.The ruling underscores the need for courts to scrutinize wills where beneficiaries are excluded despite close familial ties.

This case sets a precedent for evaluating the genuineness of wills in similar legal disputes, emphasizing the importance of intent and circumstances in determining inheritance rights.