AHMEDABAD: Nearly 21 years after the death of Sureshchandra, an employee of a private firm, his wife Varsha Shukla and their son Vikrant are set to receive his Provident Fund (PF) after a lengthy 15-year legal battle.
Sureshchandra passed away in May 2004 without leaving a will. His second wife, Hinarani, and daughter Vilaspati had contested Varsha’s claim to the PF amount. However, last week, the city civil court granted a succession certificate to Varsha and Vikrant, ruling that the deceased employee’s PF balance of over Rs 10 lakh should be handed over to them.
In January 2009, Varsha received a letter from the EPFO Commissioner, notifying her that Hinarani had filed a claim as Sureshchandra’s widow. Varsha disputed this, and the EPFO insisted she obtain a succession certificate. In 2010, the city civil court ordered the certificate to be issued in her and Vikrant’s names.
However, Hinarani and Vilaspati contested the ruling in the Gujarat High Court in 2016, arguing they were the legitimate heirs. They alleged that Varsha and Vikrant had hidden details of ongoing litigation in Uttar Pradesh, thus wrongfully obtaining the succession certificate. In 2017, the High Court quashed the certificate, directing the city civil court to reassess the case.
In the following years, Vilaspati remained the primary opponent to Varsha and Vikrant’s claim. In 2022, the court was informed that Vilaspati had passed away and had no heirs. As a result, the court ruled in favor of Varsha and Vikrant, ordering the PF amount, along with accrued interest, to be paid to them.
