New Delhi, May 28 -- In a landmark ruling that finally closes the chapter on one of the longest-running succession disputes in Indian legal history, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that the properties of the erstwhile kingdom of Kapurthala will devolve among all family members in accordance with Hindu Law and not solely upon the male heir apparent under the archaic rule of Primogeniture.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Pankaj Mittal and Justice SVN Bhatti passed the decision after the matter had remained in active litigation across multiple courts for nearly five decades, according to a release.

The Division Bench of the Supreme Court set aside concurrent findings dated September 3, 2004 and November 19, 2010, passed by the High ...