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1954 Supreme(SC) 101

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
21st May 1954
B.K. MUKHERJEA, BOSE AND GHULAM HASAN, JJ.
Kalishanker Das and another, Appellants
Versus
Dhirendra Nath and others, Respondents.
Civil Appeal No. 108 of 1952.
Advocates appeared
Mr. N. C. Chatterjee, Senior Advocate, (Messrs. C. N. Laik, D. N. Mukherjee and Sukumar Ghosh, Advocates, with him), for Appellants; Mr. S. P. Sinha, Senior Advocate, (Messrs, B. B. Haidar and S. C. Bannerji, Advocates, with him), for Respondents, Nos. 1 to 3.

Advocates:
B.B.HALDAR, C.N.LAIK, D.N.MUKHERJI, N.C.CHATTERJI, S.C.BANERJEE, S.P.SINHA, SUKUMAR GHOSH

Headnote:- Article 133-Civil Procedure Code, S. 100.

       Held: Concurrent finding of fact that alienation by Hindu widow was not a prudent act of management cannot be interfered with by Supreme Court when the view taken by the lower Courts on evidence was proper. - Section 19 - Hindu Law - Widow-Alienation. See under "Hindu Law" post.

Judgment

B. K. MUKHERJEA, J. : This appeal, which has come before us, on a certificate granted by the High Court of Calcutta, under Article 133(1) of the Constitution, is directed against a judgment and decree of a Division Bench of that court dated the 29th March 1950, affirming, on appeal, those of the Subordinate Judge, Fourth Court, Alipore, passed in Title Suit No. 70 of 1941.

2. The appellants before us are the heirs and legal representatives of the original defendant No. 3 in the suit, which was commenced by the plaintiffs respondents to recover possession of the property in dispute, on establishment of their title, as reversionary heirs of one Haripada Patra, after the death of his mother Rashmoni, who got the property in the restricted rights of a Hindu female heir on Haripada s death to appreciate the contentions that have been raised by the parties to this appeal it would be necessary to narrate the material facts in chronological order.

3. The property in suit which in premises No. 6 Dwarika Ghose s Lane situated in the suburb of Calcutta admittedly formed part of the estate of one Mahendra Narayan Patra, a Hindu inhabitant of Bengal, owning considerable properties, who died on the 17th April 1903 leaving him surviving his widow Rashmoni, two infant sons by her, Mohini Mohan and Haripada and a grandson Ram Narayan by a predeceased son Shyama Charan. Shyama Charan was the son of Mahendra by his first wife, who died during his life time.

On the 17th February 1901 Mahendra executed a will by which he made certain religious and charitable dispositions and subject to them, directed his properties to be divided amongst his infant sons Mohini and Haripada and his grandson Ram Narayan. Ram Narayan was appointed executor under the will.

After the death of Mahendra, Ram Narayan applied for probate of the will and probate was obtained by him on the 6th October, 1904. Ram Narayan entered upon the management of the estate. He developed extravagant and immoral habits and son ran into debts. The bulk of the properties was mortgaged to one Kironsashi who having obtained a decree on the mortgage applied for sale of the mortgaged properties.

Thereupon Rashmoni on behalf on her infant sons instituted a suit against the mortgagee and the mortgagor and got a declaration that the mortgage decree could not bind infants shares in the properties left by their father. This judgment was given on the 31st March 1909.

On the 13th August 1909 the two infant sons of Mahendra to wit Mohini and Haripada, by their mother and next friend Rashmoni, instituted a suit in the court of the Subordinate Judge at Alipore, being Title Suit No. 45 of 1909, claiming administration of the estate left by Mahendra as well as partition and accounts on the basis of the will left by him.

On the 14th of August 1909 one Baroda Kanta Sarkar, Sheristadar of the court of the District Judge, Alipore was appointed with the consent of both parties, receiver of the estate forming the subject-matter of the litigation. The receiver took possession of the properties immediately after this order was made. The management by the receiver, as it appears, was not at all proper or beneficial to the interest of the two sons of Mahendra. Mahendra himself left no debts and whatever debts were contracted, were contracted by Ram Narayan to meet his own immoral and extravagant expenses. The receiver however went on borrowing large sums of money upon ex parte orders received from the court, the ostensible object of which was to pay off the debts due by Ram Narayan which were not at all binding on the plaintiffs. Fearing that the longer the suit continued and the properties remained in the hands of the receiver the more harmful it would be to the interests of the minors. Rashmoni on behalf of the minors compromised the suit with Ram Narayan and a Solenama was filed on the 13th June 1910.

The terms of the compromise, in substance, were, that the properties in suit were to be held in divided share






































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