Judgment

SUBBA RAO, J:

This appeal on a certificate issued by the High Court of Judicature at Madras is preferred against the judgment and decree of the said High Court modifying those of the Subordinate Judge, Tanjore, in a suit filed by the appellant to enforce a mortgage by deposit of title deeds.

2. The facts are as follows: The first defendant borrowed from the plaintiff from time to time on seven promissory notes. The plaintiff, alleging that the first defendant had created a mortgage by deposit of title deeds in his favour in respect of his half share in the properties specified in B-Schedule, instituted O.S. No. 45 of 1951 in the Court of the Subordinate Judge, Tanjore, for enforcing the said mortgage against the said properties. The suit was for recovery of a sum of Rs. 20,435-15-0 made up of principal amount of Rs. 16,500/- and interest thereon. To that suit six persons were made defendants: defendant 1 was the mortgagor; defendant 2 was the subsequent purchaser of several of the items of the suit properties subject to plaintiff s mortgage; defendant 3 was the subsequent mortgagee defendant 4 was the subsequent purchaser of one of the plaint-schedule properties; and defendants 5 and 6 were sister and brother of the 1st defendant. The plaintiff also alleged that in a partition effected between the 1st defendant and his brother properties described in the C Schedule annexed to the plaint were allotted to the 1st defendant. He, therefore, asked in the alternative that the C Schedule properties should be sold for the realization of the amount due to him from the 1st defendant.

3. As the only contesting party before us is the 3rd defendant (3rd respondent herein), it is not necessary to notice the defence raised by defendants other than the 3rd defendant. The 3rd defendant alleged that the 1st defendant had executed a security bond in his favour for a sum of Rs. 15,000/- on October 10, 1947 and that, being a bona fide purchaser for value, he had priority over the plaintiff s security, even if it were true. He put the plaintiff to strict proof of the fact that the sum claimed in the plaint under several promissory notes was owing to him and also of the fact that the 1st defendant effected a mortgage of the suit properties by deposit of title deeds in favour of the plaintiff.

4. The learned Subordinate Judge held that the suit loans were true, that the mortgage by deposit of title deeds was also true, but the plaintiff had a valid mortgage only of items 1 and 4 of the C Schedule in respect of a sum of Rs. 9,157-5-0 with interest at 6 per cent per annum thereon. On the finding he gave a decree in favour of the plaintiff against defendants 1 to 3 for the said amount with a charge over items 1 and 4 of the C Schedule properties; and he also gave a decree in favour of the plaintiff for a sum of Rs. 7,565-2-0 with further interest at 6 per cent per annum from July 5, 1947, against the 1st defendant personally. The plaintiff preferred an appeal against the decree of the Subordinate Judge; in so far as it went against him, and the 3rd defendant filed cross-objections in respect of that part of the decree which went against him. A Division Bench of the Madras High Court, which heard the appeal and the cross-objections, held that the 1st defendant did not effect a mortgage by deposit of title deeds on May 10, 1947, in favour of the plaintiff for the entire suit claim, but that he effected such a mortgage in favour of the plaintiff on January 25, 1947, for a sum of Rs. 3,000/- in respect of two of the plaint-schedule items described in Ex. A-8. On that finding, the High Court modified the judgment and decree of the Subordinate Judge by restricting the mortgage decree given to the plaintiff to the amounts covered by the first three promissory notes and interest thereon and to one half of the properties described in Ex. A-8 and by giving a money decree against the 1st defendant for the entire balance of the decree amount. The plaintiff has