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1987 Supreme(AP) 528

Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : M.JAGANADHA RAO
SRUNGARA VALLABHA SWAMYVARU, TIRUPATHI - Appellant
Versus
P.BULLI MANGAMMA - Respondent
S.A.No.1131/80
Decided On : 09-15-87
Advocates Appeared :
Mr. R. Venugopala Reddy,Mr. C. Poornaiah

Headnote:AP (AA) INAMS ABOLITION ACT 1956 Sec3 - Decision of Deputy Tahsildar that Deity is entitled to patta to an inam land burdened with service by Archakas No notice to Archakas - Such decision wl1ich has become final in writ proceedings in High Court is not resjudicata in a suit by Deity against Archakas for possession

       HELD : Notwithstanding the judgment in the writ petition the archakas can still contend that the grant was not in favour of the Deity and that the patta is not binding on them The decision of the Deputy Tahsildar under Sec 3 without notice to the archakas, is not binding on the archakas and the said decision cannot be treated as resjudicata in the present proceedings

       SA Dismissed

M. JAGANNADHA RAO, J.

( 1 ) THIS second appeal is preferred by the plaintiff against the judgment of the learned Subordinate Judge, Kakinada in A. S. No. , 92/76 which in its turn arose out of O. S. No. 488/73 on the file of the District Munsif s Court, Peddapuram.

( 2 ) THE suit was filed by the appellant-Deity represented by the Executive Officer for possession of the plaint schedule land after ejecting the defendants there from and for future profits. The brief facts as stated in the plaint are like this: The schedule land belongs to the Diety as it was granted to it. The Stanacharya was to look after the administration of the temple and utilise the income for the purpose of Deity. He is therefore in the position of a trustee. The Stanacharya and the Archakas have to take shares for the service of the Deity from out of the income and not the whole income. They have to perform their duties. The patta was granted to the Deity by the Deputy Tahsildar, Peddapuram under the A. P. (Andhra Area) Inams Abolition Act, 1956. An appeal preferred by Yekkirala Laxmi Narasamma before the R. D. O. Peddapuram was dismissed. A further writ petition W. P. No. 1484/64 preferred by the Archakas against the order or R. D. O. was dismissed by the High Court on 21-6-1968. The decision in the writ petition is binding on the archakas. The plaintiff is entitled to possession of the schedule land. The archakas have no right to hand over possession to the 5th defendant.

( 3 ) THE 2nd defendant filed a written statement stating that he has no interest in the office of Stanadhipathi or in the suit property. Defendants 1, 3 and 4 filed a written statement stating that the plaintiff has no title to the property, that the Stanachari is not a trustee and that the grant was made to the archakas and not to the Deity. The so-called patta granted to the plaintiff does not convey any title and it is a void document inasmuch as no notice was given to the 1st defendant or his predecessors-in-title in spite of her title having been declared as long ago as in 1961. The 5th defendant is a tenant of the 1st defendant and it is learnt that late Laxminarasamma executed an agreement of sale in favour ot 5th defendant. She bequeathed the land to the 1st defendant under her will, dated 16-6-1967. The suit is therefore liable to be dismissed.

( 4 ) THE 5th defendant filed a written statement denying the plaintiff s title. He stated that the patta granted under the 1956 Act does not confer any title to the plaintiff and that late Lakshminarasamma executed an agreement, dated 6-6-1967 in his favour and put him in possession. The suit is barred by res judicata in view of the decision in O. S. No 198/59, district Munsif s Court, Peddapuram as confirmed by the Sub Court in a. S. No. 96/61 and by the High Court in S. A. No. 566/62. That was a suit by the archakas questioning the levy of contribution under the Endowment act and the said suit is decreed on the ground that the grant was to the archakas and not to the Deity. The patta is not binding in view of the decision of the Division Bench in Peda Govindayya vs. Subba Rao.

( 5 ) ON the basis of the above pleadings the learned District Munsir construed the recitals in the Inam Fair Register, Ex. A-3, granted by the british Government and signed by the Inam Commissioner on 1-3-1860 and came to the conclusion that the grant was in favour of archakas and particularly because of the judgment of the High Court in S. A. No. 566/62, dated 16-2-1966. But the learned District Munsif thought that the patta proceedings in favour of the Deity have become final and that therefore the plaintiff could sue on the basis of the said title without being affected by the decision of the High Court in S. A. 566/62. In the result he decreed the suit for possession and directed future profits to be determined.

( 6 ) ON appeal to the learned Subordinate Judge, he held that the learned District Munsif was right in holding that on a proper construction of

















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