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1999 Supreme(AP) 501

Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : T.CH.SURYA RAO
Palika Sathiraju - Appellant
Versus
Pydah Soma Malleswara Rao - Respondent
Decided On : 07-20-99

Headnote:AP(AA) TENANCY ACT - -& Evidence Act, Sec102 - Plaintiff filing suit for eviction of defendant from plaint schedule Mango Tope - Defendant contending that he is inducted into suit property 30 years ago and continuing as a te nant holdingover - Suit decreed with profits - Defendant having taken a specific plea of tenancy has not discharged burden cast upon him in proving plea of tenancy - U/S102 Evidence Act even if there is no evidence on the side of plaintiff if defendants fail to prove specific plea taken by him he would fail - In a civil suit ultimately the test is preponderancy of probability - probabilities would go in favour of plaintiffs to establish that status of defendant is that of watchman who failed to establish his specific plea that he is a tenant - Judgement of lower court confirmed

T. CH. SURYA RAO, J.

( 1 ) THE unsuccessful defendant is the Appellant. The respondents herein are the plaintiffs. The Plaintiffs filed the suit for eviction of the defendant from the plaint schedule property.

( 2 ) BRIEFLY stated the facts are that the plaintiffs filed the suit mentioning in the plaint inter alia that the plaintiffs are the owners of the plaint schedule property which is a mango tope. They appointed the defendant as their watchman a few years ago for plaint schedule property and they allowed the defendant to live in the thatched hut existing in the mango tope belonging to the plaintiffs. On the directions of the plaintiffs the defendant was growing vegetables on small pieces of the land and the expenses therefor were being borne by the plaintiffs. The defendant suddenly became greedy and started appropriating the vegetables etc. , for himself. Therefore, the plaintiffs paid an amount of Rs. 1200. 00 to the defendant on 24-4-1980 and terminated his services. Fearing that the defendant might enter into the schedule property highhandedly they filed a suit O. S. No. 17 of 1981 on the file of the Principal District Munsif s Court, Kakinada, and obtained an interim injunction against the defendant. Having come to know of the same, the defendant entered into the plaint schedule property and occupied the hut, and hence the suit.

( 3 ) THE defendant resisted the suit by filing a prolix written statement mentioning inter alia that he was the tenant of the suit schedule property, having been inducted into the same about 30 years ago and he was continuing as a tenant holding over. He filed ATC No. 434 of 1981 having come to know that the plaintiffs in collusion with the Village Karanam was trying to correct the pass books. He raised the thatched shed in the leasehold property and he was also raising tobacco seedlings, bobbarulu, ragi, horsegram, redgram etc. , dry crops and that the mango usufruct was being shared equally between the landlords and the defendant. He pleaded further that the rent payable over the schedule land was Rs. 350. 00 per year and he had been paying the rents regularly, and that there had been an attempt to dispossess him forcibly by bringing rowdy elements. Apprehending danger he filed ATC No. 4 of 1981 before the Vacation Court at Rajahmundry. That petition was dismissed for default. According to the defendant, the suit schedule property is not a mango tope as contended and a part of it is dry land wherein the dry crops are being raised. Apprehending that the defendant would get perpetual tenancy rights the plaintiffs, according to the defendant filed the present suit against him with all false averments made in the plaint.

( 4 ) ON the above pleadings, the Court below settled the following issues for trial:1. Whether the plaintiffs are entitled to possession? 2. Whether the plaintiffs are entitled to the profits? 3. Whether the plaintiffs are entitled to interest? 4. Whether the Court has got the jurisdiction with regard to the relief for possession? 5. Whether the valuation is incorrect? 6. To what relief? At the trial the 2nd plaintiff was examined himself as PW 1 and got Exs. A1 to A33 documents marked. The defendant besides examining as DW1 also examined three more witnesses and got Exs. B1 to B11 marked. Upon considering the evidence, both oral and documentary and upon hearing both sides, the Court below by its judgment dated 26-7-1988 decreed the suit with profits.

( 5 ) ON issues 1 to 4 it held that the Court was unable to accept the case of the defendant that he was a cultivating tenant and therefore he must be a watchman as claimed by the plaintiffs and he could not be more than that. On issue No. 2 the Court granted profits both past and future in favour of the plaintiffs, having aggrieved by the said findings the defendant as aforesaid has filed the present Appeal.

( 6 ) THE learned Counsel for the appellant contended that the Court below having disbelieved mostly the evidence adduced










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