Here's a breakdown of a recent Supreme Court decision involving a family argument over a deceased person's General Provident Fund (GPF). This case, Bolla Malathi vs. B. Suguna, was decided on December 5, 2025.
This case involves the family members of Bolla Mohan, who passed away while working for the Defence Accounts Department, Government of India. The main issue was who should receive Mohan's GPF after his death.
When Mohan joined the service on February 29, 2000, he chose his mother, B. Suguna, to receive his GPF. After getting married on June 20, 2003, he updated his choices for other benefits but left the GPF choice unchanged. Mohan passed away on July 4, 2021.
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Mumbai initially decided that since the choice became invalid after Mohan got married, the GPF should be shared equally between his wife, Bolla Malathi, and his mother.
The High Court of Bombay changed the CAT's decision on February 11, 2025. They decided that since Mohan did not update his GPF choice, his mother remained the valid choice. The court noted:
"The choice only indicates the hand which is to receive the benefits."
Justice Sanjay Karol, along with Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, looked at the case. They decided to go with the original CAT decision, meaning the GPF should be split between Malathi and Suguna. The court agreed that while Mohan did not update the choice, the rules suggest that the choice was canceled when he got married.
In summary, the Supreme Court ruled that the GPF should be shared equally between Mohan's wife and mother, underlining the need to keep such choices current to avoid family disagreements.
