Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : MANOHAR PERSHAD
Chunduru Chenchuramaiah Sett - Appellant
Versus
Deputy Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, A.P. Kurnool - Respondent
Decided On : 10-28-64
HINDU RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS ACT - SECTION 62 - SUIT FOR DECLARATION - NOTICE UNDER SECTION 80 C. P. C. - NECESSITY - DEDICATION - OUT AND OUT DEDICATION OR CHARGE ON THE PROPERTY - INTERPRETATION OF DOCUMENT.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff filed a suit under Section 62 of the Hindu Religions and Charitable Endowments Act for declaration that item 1 of the schedule was the absolute property of the members of the Chunduru family and the performance of the charities mentioned in the document dated 18-12-1887 was only a charge on the income thereof and that item 2 of the schedule was the absolute property of his family and not part of the specific endowment. The suit was dismissed by the Subordinate Judge, Nellore on 27/02/1961.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that notice under Section 80 C. P. C. is not necessary in a suit under Section 62 of the Hindu Religions and Charitable Endowments Act. The court also held that items 1 and 2 of the plaint schedule constituted one block and were governed by Ex. A. 1. The court further held that there was an out and out dedication of the property and not merely a charge on the income.
Issues: 1. Whether notice under Section 80 C. P. C. is necessary? 2. Whether the suit items formed one block and are governed by Ex. A. 1? 3. Whether there is an out and out dedication or only a charge on the property? 4. Whether item 2 is the absolute property of the plaintiff? 5. Whether the plaintiff has made out his title to the suit property?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. Section 80 C. P. C. does not apply to a suit under Section 62 of the Hindu Religions and Charitable Endowments Act. 2. The court considered the recitals of the document Ex. A. 1, the sale deed Ex. A. 2, Exs. A. 7, A. 7 (a), A. 9 to A. 10, Ex. A. 12, Ex. B. 7, Ex. B. 4 and Ex. B. 5 and the oral testimony of the plaintiff as P. W. 1 and came to the conclusion that both the items constituted one block and are governed by Ex. A. 1. 3. The court interpreted the document Ex. A. 1 and held that it was not a charge on the income but on complete dedication. The fact that the donors have not reserved any right to themselves supports this view.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs of 3rd defendant throughout. Only one set.
( 1 ) THIS appeal is on behalf of the unsuccessful plaintiff, whose suit under Section 62 of the Hindu Religions and Charitable Endowments Act for declaration that item 1 of the schedule was the absolute property of the members of the Chunduru family and the performance of the charities mentioned in the document dated 18-12-1887 was only a charge on the income thereof and that item 2 of the schedule was the absolute property of his family and not part of the specific endowment, has been dismissed by the Subordinate Judge, Nellore on 27/02/1961.
( 2 ) THE allegation of the plaintiff-appellant was that item 1 of the plaint schedule bearing old S. No. 405 was a tope jointly belonging to the members of Chunduru family, of Nawabpet that the family then consisted of five branches, that on 18-12-1887 the members of Chunduru family executed among themselves a registered agreement to the effect that from the income of the tone, ubhayams or the performance of Mukkoti Ekadasi and Dwadasi in Sri Ranganadhaswami temple Nellore should perpetually be performed and that the existing trees in the tope might be cut and sold away if they become old and useless and new trees be planted, and the tope improved and that vacant sites might be let pit for ground-rent or be sold for house-building purposes, that necessary repairs to the tope might be carried out from the income, that after meeting the expenses of the ubhayams in Sri Ranganadhaswamy temple, and the maintenance and repairs of the tope, the balance, if any, should be utilised for the performance of some charities in the temple of Sri Kesavaswami in Nawabpet, Nellore. The then sharers of the tope constituted themselves as the managers. Later on different members of Chunduru family were in management of the same. On 27-2-46, the plaintiff was entrusted with the management and before him one Chunduru Rajamannar was the manager. Since the fruit-bearing trees in the tope died, about three acres thereof had been converted into wet and the remaining area cultivated as garden land. The plaintiff had been leasing it out and collecting rents from the tenants and attending to the performance of the Ubhayam in the temple of Sri Ranganadhaswami and had been also paying the land taxes. It is the further case of the plaintiffs that item 2 of the plaint schedule was a distinct and separate plot of land measuring Ac. 2-52 and was independent of the tope described as item 1 of the schedule and was part of old S. Nos. 403 and 404 having been acquired by Chunduru Govindu Chetti his paternal uncle that ever since the purchase item 2 had been in separate and exclusive enjoyment of Govindu Chetti and subsequently in the possession of the plaintiffs family as successor-in-interest, that recently it came to his knowledge that in the survey, items 1 and 2 were clubbed together and surveyed as C. A. S. No. 164 showing the extent as Acres 6-79 cents. He denies that it is part of the tope, it was further averred that though the ubhayams were performed by him to the satisfaction of the temple authorities and the public from out of the income of item 1, the third defendant began creating obstacles. According to him, in 1955, the third defendant managed to obtain Srimukham from the temple authorities jointly in his name and the plaintiff and when he protested, the third defendant started taking hostile attitude and instigated the tenants to evade payment of the makthas. Consequent to that, the plaintiff filed suits against the tenants making the third defendant as a party. Thereafter, the third defendant filed an application before the Deputy Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments under Section 57 of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act alleging both the items of the plaint schedule formed the specific endowment. In spite of the contest of the plaintiff the Deputy Commissioner declared that both the items constituted the specific endowment for the performance of the ubha
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