Hyderabad, July 5 -- The Telangana High Court has ruled that if a person dies without repaying a lawful debt, his legal heirs (wife or children) must repay it only from the property they inherit from him.

The court clarified that the government or creditors can recover the dues from the deceased person's inherited property, including ancestral or joint family property inherited by the heirs. However, the heirs' own property or assets earned through their own income cannot be attached.

Justice Alishetty Laxmi Narayana passed the order while hearing petitions filed by V Yashoda, the wife of late postmaster Srinivas Reddy from Kamareddy district.

According to the case, Srinivas Reddy was accused of misappropriating Rs 14.89 lakh under the...