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2017 Supreme(AP) 864

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT HYDERABAD FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AND THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH
T. SUNIL CHOWDARY, J.
Kanuri Seetha Lakshmi - Appellant
Versus
Pothukuchi Vidyapathi Sastry - Respondent
Second Appeal No. 1054 of 1998
Decided On : 02-11-2017

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : V.L.N.G.K. Murthy
For the Respondent: V.S.R. Anjaneyulu

Headnote:

Civil Law – Civil Suit – Civil Procedure Code, 1908 – Section 100 – Second Appeal – Will – Suit for declaration and recovery of possession – Dismissal of Suit – Challenged – Case of the plaintiff is that she used to look after her mother-Subhadramma during her life time and out of love and affection her mother bequeathed the suit schedule property in her favour of the plaintiff by way of registered Will – It is the further case of the plaintiff that the defendant, aggrieved by execution of the Will in favour of the plaintiff, has been creating troubles for enjoyment of the suit schedule property by the plaintiff – Hence plaintiff filed the suit to declare her as absolute owner of suit schedule property, basing on Will and consequential relief of recovery of possession – Held, Testimony further reveals that he wrote Ex. B.10 letter to the defendant, expressing seriousness of the health condition of Subhadramma and asking defendant to come to Kolluru to see her – Testimony of D.W. 7- Farm Servant, categorically reveals that Subhadramma was not in conscious state of mind on 28.10.1985 – In cross-examination, P.W. 7-the Sub Registrar, Kolluru, deposed that he did not verify the health condition of Subhadramma. D.Ws. 2, 6 and 7 are not interested witnesses – If the testimony of these witnesses is taken into consideration, Subhadramma was in semi-conscious state of mind. In such circumstances, the execution of the Will dated 28.10.1985 by Subhadramma, in sound and disposing state of mind, is somewhat unbelievable. The Courts below have considered the testimony of D.Ws. 2, 6 and 7 in right perspective and disbelieved the version put forth by the plaintiff. Since plaintiff failed to prove that Subhadramma executed the Will, in a sound and disposing state of mind, shifting of onus of proof on the defendant to establish the fraud and deception played by the husband of the plaintiff on Subhadramma in executing Will does not arise – Findings recorded by the Courts below are supported by oral and documentary evidence – Court agree with the concurrent findings recorded by Courts below – Principle enunciated in the case cited supra, points raised by the learned counsel for the plaintiff will not fall within the ambit of Section 100 of C.P.C. – Second Appeal dismissed.

JUDGMENT :

T. SUNIL CHOWDARY, J.

1. This appeal is filed by the unsuccessful plaintiff challenging the decree and judgment dated 27.8.1994 in A.S. No. 5 of 1992 on the file of Court of III Additional District Judge, Guntur, confirming the decree and judgment dated 16.12.1991 in O.S. No. 105 of 1985 on the file of the Court of Subordinate Judge, Tenali, dismissing the suit filed for declaration and recovery of possession. For the sake of convenience, the parties hereinafter will be referred to as they were arrayed in the suit.

2. The plaintiff is the third daughter of late Janaswami Hanumantharao and Subhadramma of Kolluru Village. The defendant is the sister's son of the plaintiff. Hanumantharao executed a registered Will dated 25.8.1973 bequeathing the suit schedule property and some other properties in favour of his wife, by name, Subhadramma, with absolute rights. Subhadramma died on 30.10.1985. The case of the plaintiff is that she used to look after her mother-Subhadramma during her life time and out of love and affection her mother bequeathed the suit schedule property in her favour of the plaintiff by way of registered Will dated 28.10.1985. It is the further case of the plaintiff that the defendant, aggrieved by the execution of the Will dated 28.10.1985 in favour of the plaintiff, has been creating troubles for enjoyment of the suit schedule property by the plaintiff. Hence the plaintiff filed the suit to declare her as absolute owner of the suit schedule property, basing on the Will dated 28.10.1985, and consequential relief of recovery of possession.

3. The defendant filed written statement admitting inter se relationship between the parties inter alia contending that the Will dated 28.10.1985 set up by the plaintiff is not valid document. Subhadramma, who is the maternal grandmother of the defendant, did not execute the Will dated 28.10.1985 in favour of the plaintiff. Due to ill-health, Subhadramma was not in conscious state of mind from the morning of 28.10.1985. The husband of the plaintiff evidently played fraud and by deceiving Subhadramma obtained her thumb impression on the papers and created the spurious document i.e., the Will dated 28.10.1985, taking the assistance of the Scribe and the Attestors. The husband of the plaintiff influenced the Sub-Registrar, Kolluru in getting the registration of the Will dated 28.10.1985. Subhadramma executed the Will dated 31.5.1982, in a sound and disposing state of mind, bequeathing the suit schedule property in favour of the defendant, out of love and affection. The defendant performed the obsequies of Subhadramma. Hence the suit is liable to be dismissed.

4. Basing on the above pleadings, the trial Court framed the following issues:

1. Whether the plaintiff is entitled to the declaration of her title and for possession of the plaint schedule property?

2. To what future profits if any is the plaintiff entitled?

3. Whether the Will dated 28.10.1985 executed by Subhadramma, the mother of the plaintiff, is true, valid and binding on the defendant?

4. Whether the Will dated 31.5.1982 executed by late Subhadramma is true, valid and binding on the plaintiff?

5. To what relief?

5. To substantiate the case before the trial Court, on behalf of the plaintiff, P.Ws. 1 to 8 were examined and Exs. A1 to A3 were marked. On behalf of the defendant, D.Ws. 1 to 8 were examined and Exs. B1 to B17 and Exs. X1 to X8 were marked.

6. Basing on the oral, documentary evidence and other material available on record, the trial Court disbelieved the Will dated 28.10.1985 set up by the plaintiff and dismissed the suit. The unsuccessful plaintiff, aggrieved by the judgment and decree dated 16.12.1991 in O.S. No. 105 of 1985 passed by the Court of the Subordinate Judge, Tenali, preferred A.S. No. 5 of 1992 on the file of the Court of III Additional District Judge, Guntur. The learned appellate Judge, after reappraising the oral and documentary evidence, confirmed the decree and judgment dated 16.12.1991 in O.S.














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