Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : P.CHANDRA REDDY, P.SATYANARAYANA RAJU, SRINIVASA CHARI
Mir Mohiuddin Alikhan - Appellant
Versus
Sayeedunnissa Begum - Respondent
Decided On : 11-15-60
EXECUTION OF DECREE - DECREE AGAINST LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF DECEASED PERSON - ENFORCEMENT AGAINST PROPERTY OF DECEASED - SECTION 52, C. P. C. - SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY - DETERMINATION OF ASSETS - STAGE OF PRELIMINARY DECREE OR FINAL DECREE - RES JUDICATA.
Fact of the Case:
A suit was filed for a share in the matruka of the deceased and for the dower debt of the deceased's husband. A preliminary decree was passed declaring the plaintiff's entitlement to a share in the matruka and the dower debt. Later, in execution proceedings, the decree-holder sought to attach and sell the judgment debtor's share in the matruka of her father, which was in the custody of the Sarfe-Khas. The judgment debtor objected, arguing that the decree could only be executed against the specific movable property sealed in a room by the Sarfe-Khas.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the decree-holder was entitled to execute the decree against the matruka of the deceased wherever it might be, and that the judgment debtor's share in the matruka of her father, which was in the custody of the Sarfe-Khas, could be attached and sold in execution of the decree.
Issues: 1. Whether the executing Court is bound to construe decree whose execution is prayed in the light of Section 52 of the C. P. C. notwithstanding the earlier decisions in the case before the decree concerning the assets of the deceased. 2. Whether the Court entrusted with the jurisdiction of administering the estate of the deceased must return the assets, which admittedly belong to the deceased, on the ground that in earlier stages of the suit the assets were found not to exist?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that Section 52 of the C. P. C. allows for the execution of a decree against the property of a deceased person, and that the decree-holder can proceed against any and every property of the deceased so long as he is able to satisfy the court that the property he is proceeding against is the property of the deceased person. 2. The court held that the question of the determination of the assets does not arise at the stage of the preliminary decree, and therefore there could be no question of res judicata.
Final Decision: The court answered the first question referred to it in the affirmative and the second question in the negative. With these answers, the case was sent back to the Division Bench for arguments.
( 1 ) THIS reference to a Full Bench has been made, by a Division Bench of this Court consisting of Mohd. Ahmed Ansari and Jaganmohan Reddy, J. , in an appeal which arose in execution proceedings.
( 2 ) ONE Himurunnissa Begum died leaving behind her Mohd. All Pasha, her husband, Qudrunnissa Begum her mother, Moinuddin All Khan, her brother and her daughter Syedunnissa Begum. The husband and the mother died soon after leaving the defendant Syedunnissa Begum and the plaintiffs as heirs. The deceased Himutunnissa Begum left some movable and immovable inheritable property. The plaintiff brought a suit for his share in the Matruka of the deceased Ilimutunnissa Begum as well as for his share in the dower debt of Himuttunnissa Begum which he was entitled to from the estate of her husband. The defendant Syedunnissa Begum, while admitting that the plaintiff was entitled to a share in the matruka stated that her father left only movable property which was in the possession of the Sarfe-khas. She also stated that she was not liable for the dower debt.
( 3 ) THIS suit was instituted in the Ecclesiastical court which had exclusive Jurisdiction to try suits relating to the administration or partition of the estate of a Mohammadan. The Ecclesiastical court held, after enquiry, that the dower debt was recoverable from the estate of Mahamud Ali Pasha and that estate consisted only of movable property locked in the house of the defendant Syedunnissa Begum but under the control and supervision of the Sarfe-khas. It declared that the plaintiff was entitled to a 1/4th share. This was a preliminary decree that was passed in the suit. Before ever a final decree could be passed, the Ecclesiastical court was abolished and its jurisdiction was vested in the High Court on its original side. Later on, all the cases pending on the original side of the High Court were transferred to the City Civil Court and so the matter came up for enquiry and for the passing of the final decree before the City Civil Court. The learned Judge of the City Civil Court held an investigation as regards the extent of the assets of the matruka of the deceased in the hands of the defendant Syedunnissa Begum. On an examination of the evidence, the learned Judge held that all the matruka of Himayatunnissa Begum which was available for distribution was Pandan, Ogaldan, Nagardan and the mortgage amount of Rs. 2,500. 00 and that the plaintiff was entitled to his share in that property. As regards immovable property, he held that a house and Makhta was the matruka left by Muhammad Ali Pasha and he directed that the house and garden be partitioned by a Commissioner and the parties allotted their shares according to the shares determined under the preliminary decree. This final decree was passed by the Court on 5-3-1954.
( 4 ) AFTER the passing of the final decree, the decree-holder filed, an execution application praying that the Chairman of the private estate of H. E. H. The Nizam (Sarfe-Khas) be directed to stop pay- ments of amounts due to the judgment debtors and send the amount to the court in satisfaction of his decree in the suit. It was stated that the Chairman of the Committee of Sarfe-khas was holding in trust the amounts payable to the judgment debtors out of the matruka of Mahamud Ali Khan. A further direction was also asked that the judgment debtors be restrained from recovering the amount due to them from the Sarfe-Khas Committee. When this application was filed, the judgment debtors objected to the execution of the decree stating that the decree had been passed only against the specific movable property sealed in a room by the Sarfe-Khas and as such the decree holder had no right to attach any other property. It was urged that amount that was sought to be attached was her own personal property. The learned Judge of the City Civil Court, atter hearing the arguments of the counsel for the decree-holder and the judgment debtor, held t
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