IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT HYDERABAD FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AND THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH
C. PRAVEEN KUMAR, J.
P. Sri Ramulu and Ors. - Appellants
Versus
P. Polarao - Respondent
CRP No. 416 of 2018
Decided On : 23-02-2018
Civil Procedure Code – Order I – Rule 10 – Order VI – Rule 17, 28 – Section 115, 151 – Petitioner made application for passing of final decree by appointing Advocate Commissioner for partition of suit schedule property, as they are legal representatives of one Petitioner who died, leaving behind petitioners, It is said that preliminary decree passed in favour of their father, It is also said that registered will deed came to executed in their favour by their father with sound and disposed state of mind, they filed application for adding them as necessary parties in final decree proceedings, since estate of deceased plaintiff devolved upon them in pursuance of registered will deed –Held, Abatement by reason of death of any party between conclusion of hearing and pronouncement of judgment, It may be pronounced, notwithstanding death, and shall have same force and effect as if judgment had pronounced before death took place, contention that judgment and decree of appellate Court is a nullity is devoid of substance, judgment delivered in appeal, which was heard after death of party, in nullity, or not, After referring to judgment of Apex Court, in view of clear pronouncement of Supreme Court, contra is also correct, that if party died before conclusion of hearing, judgment rendered would nullity, it is clear that after passing of preliminary decree, the proceedings shall not get abated, application to implead them as legal representatives and necessary parties came to filed, being position, finding of Trial Court that suit got abated and consequently, final decree petition gets abated, appears to be incorrect, As application came to filed within prescribed time, present application can treated as one – Petition is disposed of. (Para 9, 11, 12, 15)
Facts of the case:
Petitioner made application for passing of final decree by appointing Advocate Commissioner for partition of suit schedule property, as they are legal representatives of one Petitioner who died, leaving behind petitioners, It is said that preliminary decree passed in favour of their father, It is also said that registered will deed came to executed in their favour by their father with sound and disposed state of mind, they filed application for adding them as necessary parties in final decree proceedings, since estate of deceased plaintiff devolved upon them in pursuance of registered will deed.
Findings of the court:
Abatement by reason of death of any party between conclusion of hearing and pronouncement of judgment, It may be pronounced, notwithstanding death, and shall have same force and effect as if judgment had pronounced before death took place, contention that judgment and decree of appellate Court is a nullity is devoid of substance, judgment delivered in appeal, which was heard after death of party, in nullity, or not, After referring to judgment of Apex Court, in view of clear pronouncement of Supreme Court, contra is also correct, that if party died before conclusion of hearing, judgment rendered would nullity, it is clear that after passing of preliminary decree, the proceedings shall not get abated, application to implead them as legal representatives and necessary parties came to filed, being position, finding of Trial Court that suit got abated and consequently, final decree petition gets abated, appears to be incorrect, As application came to filed within prescribed time, present application can treated as one.
Result: Petition is disposed of
ORDER :
C. Praveen Kumar, J.
1. Aggrieved by the order, dated 3.11.2017, passed in IA No. 1706 of 2017 in FDIA No. 210 of 2013 in OS No. 16 of 2002 on the file of the Senior Civil Judge, Pithapuram, wherein an application filed under Order I Rule 10 and Order VI Rule 17 of C.P.C. read with Rule 28 of Civil Rules of Practice, to implead the petitioners as necessary parties in the final decree petition was dismissed, the present civil revision petition came to be filed under Section 115 of C.P.C.
2. The facts which lead to filing of the civil revision petition would show that one P.V. Chiranjeevi, who is the second petitioner herein alongwith another made an application for passing of final decree by appointing an Advocate Commissioner for partition of suit schedule property, as they are the legal representatives of one P. Sri. Ramulu, who died on 10.9.2016, leaving behind the petitioners. It is said that a preliminary decree was passed in OS No. 16 of 2002 in favour of their father. It is also said that a registered will deed dated 4.8.2015 came to be executed in their favour by their father with sound and disposed state of mind. As such, they filed an application for adding them as necessary parties in the final decree proceedings, since the estate of the deceased plaintiff devolved upon them in pursuance of the registered will deed dated 4.8.2015. The said application was filed under Order I Rule 10 and Order VI Rule 17 read with Section 151 of C.P.C. and Rule 28 of the Civil Rules of Practice.
3. A counter came to be filed stating that the provisions of law quoted are incorrect and two prayers cannot be made in a single petition. It is further stated that without filing a registered Will Deed and in proof thereof, the petition is not maintainable.
4. After considering the rival submissions made, the Court below dismissed the said petition. Challenging the same the present civil revision petition came to be filed.
5. Learned Counsel for the petitioner would contend that the Court below erroneously dismissed the petition holding that the petitioners have to file a petition under Order 22 of C.P.C. and not under Order I Rule 10 of C.P.C. It is further urged that the sole plaintiff died on 10.9.2016 and the present application filed on 4.11.2016, within time, as such the question of abatement would not arise.
6. Learned Counsel for the respondent opposed the same.
7. As seen from the record, the application of the petitioners came to be rejected mainly on the ground that the petitioners ought to have filed a petition under Order 22 of C.P.C. and instead of doing so, the petitioners filed a petition under Order I Rule 10 of C.P.C. The main ground in which the application is dismissed is that the suit got abated and without getting abatement set-aside the legal representatives cannot be brought on record. It is further observed that though the first petitioner died, the second and third petitioners, who are co-sharers, have not taken steps and consequently the final decree petition against the first petitioner gets abated.
8. In Kishan Lal and others v. Nathi Lal, ILR 1971 Del. 547, the Delhi High Court was dealing with a situation where a revision petition was preferred by the legal representative of Nanhay Ram, who instituted a suit against one Nathi Lal for recovery of amount due under mortgage. It was also a case where a decree was passed on 21.7.1964 and after passing of the decree Nanhay Ram died on 22.9.1964. Thereafter, an application was made by the petitioner therein to implead him in the suit. An objection was raised with regard to maintainability of the application under Order XXII Rule 3 of C.P.C. One of the issues in the said case was; whether Order XXII Rule 3 of C.P.C. can be invoked after passing of the preliminary decree. After referring to various judgments, the Court held that "Once a preliminary decree is passed, there is no necessity to make an application under Order XXII Rule 3 of C.P.C., to implead the legal repres
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