Summary: In a case from Chennai, the court decided that J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran should get half of the property that was in his wife's name. The decision was made by Dr. Justice R.N. Manjula on December 3, 2025.
J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran and his wife, Mrs. R. Lalithambal, got married on March 27, 1978, in Ramanathapuram. They both worked in Chennai, with J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran at Indian Bank and Mrs. R. Lalithambal at a government hospital. They initially bought a house together in Kodambakkam, Chennai.
In 1985, J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran borrowed money to buy a house in his wife's name. Later, in 1991, they sold this house and bought a new plot in Trustpuram, Chennai. Mrs. R. Lalithambal borrowed money to build a house, and J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran added his savings and retirement fund.
"The person who filed the case stood as a guarantor. The first person involved in the case got Rs. 1,50,000/- from the Bank..."
The couple adopted a child, and everything was fine until Mrs. R. Lalithambal allegedly started acting strangely. She threatened J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran and wouldn't let him into their home, so he went to live with his brother.
J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran went to court to ask for half of the property. During the case, Mrs. R. Lalithambal sold the property to someone else. The court found that J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran had helped a lot with buying and building the property.
"The person who filed the case has shown that he deserves half of the property..."
Dr. Justice R.N. Manjula decided in favor of J. Thomas Jayaprabakaran, giving him half of the property. The court made it clear that selling the property to someone else did not take away his rights.
"As a result, this case is decided in favor of the person who filed it, and a preliminary decision is made as requested..."
This case shows how complicated property issues in marriages can be and why it's important to keep track of who contributes what to shared assets.
