SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
(BEFORE R.M. SAHAI AND N.P. SINGH, JJ.)
SHYAMA DEVI (SMT) AND OTHERS
Versus
MANJU SHUKLA (MRS) AND ANOTHER
Civil Appeal Nos. 5993-94 of 1994{From the Judgment and Order dated 21-4-1994 of the Rajasthan High Court in S.B.C.R.P. Nos. 151 of 1993 and 220 of 1993}, decided on September 12, 1994
Advocates appeared
D.D. Thakur, Senior Advocate (K.V. Venkataraman and S.N. Sharma, Advocates, with him) for the Appellants;
Gopal Subramaniam, Senior Advocate (H.M. Singh and D.N. Mishra, Advocates, for JBD & Co., with him) for the Respondent 2.
Hindu Succession Act, 1956 - Section 6 - Separate suit claiming title - Final decree - Suit a preliminary decree - Suit for partition was filed in the year 1965 said suit a preliminary decree was passed on in respect of the properties in dispute were defendants in said suit filed an appeal before High Court against the said decree - It may be mentioned in the present appeal are concerned with branch of who had two sons and four daughters, apart from his wife, appellant Respondent is one of daughters - Petition of compromise was filed on behalf Prasad in the High Court - Respondent made an application before High Court, to be impleaded as a party being the daughter petition was rejected appeal had been filed before High Court – Held, legal representatives were brought on record - No reservation appeared to have been made with reference to the claim under the Will - Preliminary decree passed by trial court has not been modified by the High Court insofar as it directed that the individual shares of legal representatives of each branch made also be ascertained and divided by metes and bounds by Commissioner and allotted to them - Light of these circumstances do not see any ground in objection by learned counsel appearing for widow of Jamuna Prasad against impleading of the legal representatives or direction to allotment of their shares according to the Hindu Succession Act without reference to Will - alleged to have been executed make it clear that this will not preclude the widow of to file a separate suit claiming title on the basis of Will – Court further make it clear that on ground that she has filed or is going to file any such suit final decree proceedings should not be held up - Result of leaving open the truth and validity of Will in question to a separate suit is that the allotment of shares Prasad among the legal representatives would confer title on the legal representatives only subject to any defeasance at a later stage in case Will was found to be true, genuine and valid - Subject to this observation the order of High Court is set aside and that of the trial court is restored and division now be effected as directed - appeal is allowed
Certainly. Based on the provided legal document, here are the key points:
Judgment
N.P. SINGH, J.- Leave granted.
2. This appeal has been filed on behalf of the appellants, for setting aside an order dated 21-4-1994, passed by the High Court of Rajasthan. By the aforesaid order, the revision petition of Respondent 1 was allowed and a direction was given to the Additional District Judge, to make afresh adjudication of the objections filed on behalf of the parties, to the report of the Commissioner. A further direction was given by the High Court that while doing so, the order dated 3-3-1992, passed by this Court, should be strictly followed.
3. A suit for partition was filed in the year 1965 by Dhanpat Rai. In the said suit a preliminary decree was passed on 24-1-1975 in respect of the properties in dispute. Jamuna Prasad and Ganga Prasad were defendants in the said suit. Jamuna Prasad and Ganga Prasad filed an appeal before the High Court against the said decree. It may be mentioned that in the present appeal, we are concerned with the branch of Jamuna Prasad, who had two sons and four daughters, apart from his wife, who is appellant 1 (hereinafter referred to as the appellant). Mrs Manju Shukla, Respondent 1 (hereinafter referred to as the respondent) is one of the daughters of the aforesaid Jamuna Prasad. On 5.5.1980, a petition of compromise was filed on behalf of Dhanpat Rai, Jamuna Prasad and Ganga Prasad in the High Court. On 28-6-1982, the respondent made an application before the High Court, to be impleaded as a party being the daughter of Jamuna Prasad. That petition was rejected on 22-2-1983. On 1-9-1986, the appeal which had been filed before the High Court on behalf of Jamuna Prasad and Ganga Prasad, was disposed of in terms of the petition of compromise. Jamuna Prasad died on 7-1-1987 leaving behind the appellant as his widow and two sons and four daughters including the respondent. During the preparation of the final decree on 6-5-1989 respondent filed a petition claiming 1/3 share in the properties. This application was entertained because after the death of Jamuna Prasad, respondent claimed to be his one of the legal heirs. The application filed by the said respondent was allowed by the Additional District Judge on 13-7-1990. The appellant being aggrieved by the said order filed a civil revision petition before the High Court. The High Court was of the opinion that the application dated 6-5-1989 filed on behalf of the respondent was maintainable but the trial court has to decide afresh as to what share she was entitled after hearing all the parties concerned. Against the said order of the High Court, Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 15175 of 1991 was filed before this Court, on behalf of the respondent, which was disposed of on 3-3-1992. This Court gave the following direction:
"The appeal is, therefore, allowed and the trial court is directed to allot the shares of each legal representatives separately in respect of the share of Jamuna Prasad as per Hindu law without reference to any Will alleged to have been executed by Jamuna Prasad. However, we make it clear that this will not preclude the widow of Jamuna Prasad to file a separate suit claiming title on the basis of the Will. We further make it clear that on the ground that she has filed or is going to file any such suit the final decree proceedings should not be held up. The result of leaving open the truth and validity of the Will in question to a separate suit is that the allotment of the shares of Jamuna Prasad among the legal representatives would confer title on the legal representatives only subject to any defeasance at a later stage in case the Will was found to be true, genuine and valid."
It may be mentioned that, the appellant as widow of the aforesaid Jamuna Prasad, claimed in the proceedings pending before the trial court that Jamuna Prasad had executed a Will on 7-3-1986 bequeathing his property to the appellant. The aforesaid observation/direction of this Court was in connection with the said Will. The Additional Dis
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