Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : L.NARSIMHA REDDY
Lingu Savithri - Appellant
Versus
P.Sahadev - Respondent
Decided On : 01-03-06
Civil Procedure Code, 1908 – Order XIV – Indian Evidence Act, 1872 – Sections 101, 102, 103 – Relief of partition and separate possession - Suit schedule properties - petitioner submits that the issue which was framed by the trial Court, is in such a form that it would require the petitioner herein to prove the negative contends that since the denial which gave rise to the framing of the issue, came from the respondent it needs to be reframed in a manner that would place the burden upon the respondent very basis for the petitioner, to file the suit for partition was her alleged kinship viz. , she is the daughter of the respondent latter denied such relationship pleaded that he was no doubt married - mother of petitioner, but there were no issues out of their wedlock stated that within one year from the marriage, he divorced her, and the petitioner was born io the said Gangamma after such a divorce –Held, Burden of proof as to any particular fact lies on that person who wishes the Court to believe in its existence, unless it is provided by any law that the proof of that fact shall lie on any particular person burden is placed upon the person, who wants his right or liability to be declared by the Court. Section 102 is somewhat holistic, in its approach according to this the burden is on the person, who would fail, if no evidence is adduced next provision section 103 is a little specific, in so far as it mandates that it is for the person who wishes the Court to believe in existence of a particular fact that has to prove it the present case is examined on the touchstone of the principles contained in the above provisions it becomes evident that the burden squarely falls upon the petitioner to prove the factum, of her alleged relationship with the respondent, as daughter. Being a plaintiff, who claimed the relief of partition, being a party who asserted a particular relationship, and being the party who would lose if no evidence is adduced; it is the petitioner that has to discharge the burden issue which was framed by the trial Court is couched in such a manner, as would place the burden on the petitioner. If the request of the petitioner to reframe the issue, is acceded to, the burden would shift to the respondent. Further it would require the respondent to disprove an allegation made against him. Such a course would run contrary to the purport of Sections 101 to 103 of the Act. At any rate assertion made by the petitioner is not such a presumption, as provided for under Section 4 of the Act, which in turn would place the burden on the respondent, to disprove it – C. R. P. is dismissed.
( 2 ) SRI Balraj Bodhankar, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the issue, which was framed by the trial Court, is in such a form, that it would require the petitioner herein to prove the negative. He contends that since the denial, which gave rise to the framing of the issue, came from the respondent, it needs to be reframed, in a manner, that would place the burden upon the respondent.
( 3 ) THE very basis for the petitioner, to file the suit for partition was her alleged kinship viz. , she is the daughter of the respondent. The latter denied such relationship. He pleaded that he was no doubt married to gangamma, the mother of the petitioner, but there were no issues, out of their wedlock. He stated that within one year from the marriage, he divorced her, and the petitioner was born io the said Gangamma after such a divorce. He further pleaded that the said Gangamma got remarried to one person, by name Peeraji, and that the petitioner is the child of that couple. It was in this context, that trial Court framed an issue, which reads as under:"whether the plaintiff is daughter of the defendant born through gangamma".
( 4 ) THE petitioner filed the present I. A. , with a prayer to reframe the issue in the following manner:"whetherthe plaintiff is not the daughter of the defendant, born to Gangamma through Peeraji".
( 5 ) BEFORE any further discussion is undertaken, as to the permissibility or legality of the prayer of the petitioner, it needs to be noticed that the form in which the petitioner seeks amendment of the issue, is rather meaningless and self-contradictory. A bare perusal of the proposed issue discloses that on the one hand, the petitioner claims to be the daughter of the respondent (defendant), and on the other hand, the issue suggests that she is born to Gangamma through peeraji. Either the petitioner did not instruct her advocate properly or the latter was in an utter state of confusion, in framing the proposed issue. The petitioner could not have been the daughter of the respondent, and another person by name, Peeraji at one and the same time.
( 6 ) HOWEVER, let us proceed on the assumption that the petitioner asserted that she is the daughter of the respondent herein through Gangamma, and that she wanted the respondent, to disprove that assertion.
( 7 ) ON an earlier occasion I. A. No. 320 of 2003 was filed by one of the parties, and through an order in the said IA. D. N. A. test of the samples drawn from the petitioner, on the hand, and her mother Gangamma, and peeraji, on the other hand, was directed to be held. It is said that the test established that the respondent is not the father of the petitioner. The order was subject-matter of c. R. P. No. 766 of 2004. For the purpose of this C. R. P. , it is not necessary to refer to the said question, in detail.
( 8 ) ORDER XIV of C. P. C. is clear in its purport, as to the manner in which issues are to be framed. Similarly, Chapter VII of the indian Evidence Act, 1872 (for short the Act) stipulates, in clear terms, as regards the existence of burden, on the parties, to prove the concerned issues. The need to frame an issue would arise, only when the assertion, made by one party, is denied by the other. If an assertion made by a plaintiff is not den
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