SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
B.P.Jeevan Reddy : S.B.Majmudar
Hans Raji
Versus
Yosodanand
Case No. : .
Date of Decision : 11/24/95
Advocates Appeared: Chandra Saria : Kohli Lalita : Swarup Manoj : Tripathi Nalin : Tripathi R.N.
Constitution of India, 1950 - Article 136 - Indian Evidence Act - Section 68 - cancellation of sale deed – Offence of death - It was also stated therein that notice to go on additional grounds as well – Court will advert to additional grounds permitted to be urged by appellant pursuant to notice aforesaid little later - Respondent has appeared through his learned counsel – Court have heard counsel for both parties – Court tried to explore possibility settlement but as no settlement could be arrived despite adjournment of this petition on number of occasions ultimately petition was finally heard on merits and appeal pursuant to same is being disposed of by this judgment – Held, Now remains question of additional ground which was permitted by this Court while issuing notice in these proceedings - It is of course true that such additional ground was permitted to be raised in support special leave petition from which this appeal arises - However contention raises mixed question of law and fact namely whether both parties were ad idem or not and whether appellant had put her signature on document thinking that it is Will and not sale deed - This question which is linked up with intention executants for which there should be pleading and evidence - On this aspect neither any pleading nor any evidence is put forward by appellant in courts below - On contrary no such argument has been canvassed before High court before first appellate court which was final court of facts - So far as judgment first appellate court is concerned it has noted that only point for determination in appeal was as to whether sale deed has been got executed by defendant in his favor through fraud and misrepresentation as alleged by plaintiff appellant - Save and except this point no other point appears to have been urged before first appellate court –Consequently on facts as found on record and in light evidence led by parties foresaid contention covered by additional ground cannot be effectively supported or made out by learned counsel for appellant - Even otherwise when it has been concurrently found by all courts below on evidence on record that document was executed as sale deed by appellant aforesaid additional ground pales into insignificance – Appeal dismissed
JUDGMENT
S.B. MAJMUDAR, J.
(1) LEAVE granted.
(2) THIS appeal is moved by the original plaintiff who had filed Regular Civil Suit No. 223 of 1976 in the court of learned Munsif, Gonda for cancellation of sale deed dated 7/4/1975 said to have been executed by her in favour of the respondent-defendant. The suit came to be dismissed by the trial court. Appellant lost her appeal before the appellate court and further appeal being second appeal before the High court. That is how she has invoked this courts jurisdiction under Article 136 of the Constitution of India. Notice was ordered to be issued to the respondent on 20/1/1995 by a division bench of this court consisting of S. Mohan, J. and one of us S.B. Majmudar, J. It was also stated therein that notice to go on additional grounds as well. We will advert to the additional grounds permitted to be urged by the appellant pursuant to the notice aforesaid a little later. Respondent has appeared through his learned counsel. We have heard learned counsel for both the parties. We tried to explore the possibility of a settlement but as no settlement could be arrived at despite adjournment of this petition on number of occasions, ultimately the petition was finally heard on merits and the appeal pursuant to the same is being disposed of by this judgment.
(3) A few relevant facts are necessary to be noted at the outset to appreciate the grievance of the appellant-plaintiff. According to her she is an illiterate Harijan woman and a childless widow. On the death of her husband who was a Railway servant she was given employment on compassionate ground in Railways by Railway authorities. She had inherited the house which belonged to her husband situated in Gonda town in Gonda District of Uttar Pradesh. Respondent, who was known to her came to Gonda town and as he was in need of accommodation, the appellant accommodated him in her house. That happened about three years prior to filing of the suit from which the present proceedings arise, that is, somewhere in the year 1973 as the suit was filed in 1976. Thereafter according to the appellant-plaintiff her brother came to Gonda in 1975 and on his persuasion she agreed to execute a Will in favour of her brothers sons as she was a childless widow. It is her further case that at that time respondent was also present and he undertook to get the necessary Will executed by the appellant in favour of her brothers sons. But instead of doing so, he dishonestly and fraudulently told the appellant that before the Will is executed permission of the District Magistrate will have to be obtained and accordingly made her sign some blank documents and later on took her to the office of Registrar for getting the Will executed. However, it was found that instead of getting the Will executed the respondent got a sale deed executed in his favour by practising fraud and misrepresentation on the appellant.
(4) THE respondent resisted the suit and contended that as the appellant was a Railway servant residing at Pachperwa Railway Station and as she was a childless widow she was no longer in need of the suit house and, therefore, she agreed to sell the same to him on having accepted a consideration of Rs. 2,500.00.
(5) THE learned trial Judge after permitting the parties to lead evidence, both oral and documentary, and on an appreciation of the same came to the conclusion that the appellant had failed to establish her case of fraud and misrepresentation on the part of the respondent and that the sale deed was duly executed by the appellant in favour of the respondent. The suit was, therefore, dismissed. As noted earlier she failed also in appeal as well as in the second appeal.
(6) LEARNED counsel appearing for the appellant vehemently submitted that the alleged sale deed was a result of fraud and misrepresentation on the part of the respondent. That she was an illiterate Harijan lady and the respondent misuse
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