Recovery of money from step children

My father married a divorced woman who died 8 years later.The kids who used to call my father their dad became rebels.They took away with them all the jwellery present in the house at that time.The house was on their mothers name.So my father had to purchase it from them and again divide the money in 3 parts,1 for himself, and the other 2 for the 2 kids. Is their anyway in which my father can recover the money and the gold.He is a retired man and we are not doing good financially.I would be very happy if you could tell us if this a legal case and what are the sections involved.Thankyou.Hinduis