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1996 Supreme(AP) 843

Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : R.BAYAPU REDDY
Mukhya Pranaswami in the Uttaradi mutt Bilding at Vijayawada, by his trustee satya Prajnoda Theertha Swamuluvaru by his power of Attorney Agent, M.V.Ramanacharya - Appellant
Versus
T.K. Raghavendra Rao - Respondent
AS.No.2171 of 1984
Decided On : 09-03-96
Advocates Appeared :
Mr. A. Subba Rao,Mr. C. Poornaiah

Headnote:INDIAN TRUST ACT, Secs. 47 & 48 - When there are more than one Trustee, one Trustee alone cannot effectively determine a Tenancy by giving a quit notice and can not also file a suit to evict the tenant without adding the other Trustees also parties to the suit Power to grant a lease of Trust Property cannot be delegated by the Trustee to any one else as it is a power coupled with a fiduciary duty and such fiduciary duty can not be made - The subject of delegation and that any such attempted delegation would, therefore, be ineffective and exercise of such delegated power would be invalid.

       Trustees has been delegating his powers by appointing a power of attorney holder as his agent to attend to such formal function of filing suits in different Courts - Such power of attorney holder appointed by the trustee has filed the suit for evicting the defendants Who are considered as trespassers - Rule 32 of Civil Rules of practice also enables such power of attorney holder to appear and file suits ete., on behalf of the persons who appoint such Power of attorney holders - In as much as the delegation of powers by appointing a Power of attorney holder to file suits on behalf of the trustee cannot be said to amount to abdication of his duties as a trustee and Inasmuch as such appointment of an agent to file a suit can be said to be covered by the explanations provided In Sec. 47.

       The plaintiff has prayed for recovery of arrears of rent in the amended plaint and that such relief can be separately asked for in a suit that can be tiled in a Civil Court while filing a petition for eviction in the Tenancy Court - The relief of recovery of rent as prayed for in the amended plaint relates only to the period prior to the filing of the suit The plaint was amended and seeking for recovery of future profits by way of damages for use and occupation - The lower Court was not justified in observing that the relief of recovery of rents can be sought for in a Civil Court - While filing a petition for eviction in the Tenancy Court and that the suit for eviction in the Civil Court is, therefore, not maintainable - The finding of the lower Court that the Civil Court has no jurisdiction to try the present suit can not be sustained and such finding is to be set aside.

R. BAYAPU REDDY, J.

( 1 ) THIS appeal is filed by the plaintiff in O. S. No. 155 of 1978 on the file of the subordinate Judge, Guntur (originally O. S. No. 725 of 1972 on the file of the disu ict Munsif Court, Guntur), questioning the decree and Judgment of the lower Court dated 5-3-1983 by which the suit filed by the plaintiff was dismissed in view of the findings on issues 1 and 8 framed in that suit.

( 2 ) THE appellant who is the plaintiff, is Sri Mukhya Pranaswami in the Uttaradi Mutt Building at Vijayawada by his trustee Sri Satya Pramoda Theerdha Swamuluvaru, represented by his power of attorney Agent M. V. Ramanacharya. He originally filed the suit against the defendants 1 to6 seeking the relief of permanent injunction contending that the plaint schedule land which is of a total extent of Ac. 22-47 Cents originally belonged to one Cuddapah Raghavendra Rao and one Srinivasa Rao, who made a gift of the said land to the plaintiff by executing a registered gift deed dated 14-1-1882 and the said gift was accepted on behalf of the plaintiff by the then Archaka of the plaintiff-Mutt. Ever since then, the plaintiff was in possession and enjoyment of the said land through its tenants and the income from the said property was being used for performing Akhanda Deeparadhana and other ceremonies for the Deity. In the year 1922 one Cuddapah Indirabayamma tried to cause obstruction to the peaceful possession and enjoyment of the suit property by the plaintiff and a civil suit in O. S. No. 248 of 1992 was also filed in me District Munsif Court, Guntur, between them and a compromise was effected in that suit between the plaintiff and Cuddapah Indirabayamma and as per the said compromise, Indirabayamma was given life interest in an extent of Ac. 12-27 cents on the western side in the suit land while the plaintiff continued to be in exclusive possession of the eastern plot of Ac. 10-20 Cents and after the death of the said Indirabayamma, the above said extent of Ac. 12-27 Cents on the western side was also to revert back to the plaintiff. Indirabayamma, who continued to enjoy the said western portion of Ac. 12-27 Cents during her life time, died on 10-1-1961 and the plaintiff got into possession of the said land also and the entire suit land was then leased out to the tenants. The second defendant continued to be the tenant of the said extent of Ac. 12-27 Cents while D-3 to D-6 continued to be the tenants of the remaining extent of Ac. 10-20 Cents and they were cultivating the lands as tenants of the plaintiff who is the absolute owner of the said entire extent of Ac. 22-47 Cents. While so, the first defendant began to lay claims for the suit land as the alleged adopted son of Indirabayamma, contending that she executed a will dated 30-12-1960 in his favour bequeathing the plaint schedule lands to himand he be came the owner of the said properties, the first defendant was also threatening to interfere with the possession of the tenants D-2 to D-6 in the suit land. As such, the suit was originally filed seeking the relief of permanent injunction against the first defendant for restraining him from interfering with such possession and enjoyment of the tenants of the plaintiff. Subsequently the plaint was amended and the relief of recovery of possession was prayed for from D-1 to D-7 as D-2 to D-6, who are the tenants, were said to have assigned their rights in the entire plaint schedule lands to d-1 and D-7 without having any right to do so, besides the relief of arrears of rent for the period 1970-71 and 1971-72 from the defendants and also for future profits for use and occupation from all the defendants.

( 3 ) DEFENDANTS 2 to 6 did not contest the suit. Subsequent to the filing of the suit, D-5 and D-6 died and their legal representatives were brought on record as D-8 to D-11 who did not also contest the suit. The first defendant alone contested the suit contending that he was the adopted son of Cuddapah indirabayamma who executed a wi

















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