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2022 Supreme(AP) 1474

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATHI
SUBBA REDDY SATTI, J.
Bodduboyina Rajagopal, S/o Venkatanarayana - Appellant
Versus
Bodduboyina Venkatanarayana, S/o. B. Gopalaiah and Others – Respondents
SECOND APPEAL No.477 of 2022
Decided On : 08-11-2022

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant : Sri G. Jagadeeswar.

Headnote:(A) Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 - Second Appeal - Suit for partition of joint family properties - Plaintiff's suit dismissed for non-joinder of necessary parties, specifically daughters as coparceners under the amended Act - Evidence failed to establish joint family property claims regarding items in 2nd defendant's name. (Paras 11 to 12, 15 to 20, 29, 34)

(B) Legal Principle of Joint Family Property - Evidence required to show property bought with joint family funds - Failure to provide cogent evidence leads to dismissal of the suit as non-maintainable. (Paras 26 to 27)

Facts of the case:
The plaintiff sought partition of properties from family relatives, claiming they were joint family properties. Defendants contended properties were self-acquired and non-joinder of daughters made the suit defective.

Findings of Court:
The trial and appellate courts found that the plaintiff did not prove properties were joint family assets and dismissed the suit for non-joinder of necessary parties.

Issues: The maintainability of a partition suit without including all coparceners and whether the properties were indeed joint family properties.

Ratio Decidendi: The court found that all sharers must be included in partition suits; failure to add necessary parties renders the suit bad, and mere assertions of joint ownership without evidence are insufficient for claims.

Result: Second appeal dismissed at admission stage.

Table of Content
1. second appeal regarding partition of properties. (Para 1 , 2 , 3)
2. defendants' claims and responses in partition suit. (Para 4 , 6 , 7)
3. issues framed by the trial and appellate courts. (Para 8 , 10 , 11 , 12)
4. plaintiff's arguments regarding property claims. (Para 13 , 14)
5. substantial legal questions of partition. (Para 15 , 17)
6. necessary parties in partition suits. (Para 18 , 19 , 20 , 21)
7. legal consequences of non-joinder in partition. (Para 22 , 23)
8. burden of proof regarding property ownership. (Para 24 , 25 , 26 , 27)
9. admissibility of partition deeds in court. (Para 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32)
10. judicial restraint in re-evaluating factual findings. (Para 33 , 34)
11. conclusion of the second appeal. (Para 35 , 36)

JUDGMENT :

(Subba Reddy Satti, J.)

Plaintiff in the suit filed above second appeal aggrieved by the judgment and decree dated 23.02.2022 in A.S.No.16 of 2016 on the file of III Additional District Judge, Rajampet, confirming the judgment and decree dated 28.09.2016 in O.S.No.94 of 2005 on the file of Senior Civil Judge, Rajampet.

2. For the sake of convenience, the parties to this judgment are referred to as per their array in plaint.

3. Suit O.S.No.94 of 2005 was filed for partition of plaint schedule properties into three equal shares and allotment of one share to him or alternatively to direct the defendants 1 to 3 to execute registered document in favour of the plaintiff in respect of plaint B schedule property.

4. In the plaint, it was contended interalia that defendants 1 and 2 are husband and wife, plaintiff and 3rd defendant are their sons; that 1st defendant’s father B.Gopalaiah died about 20 years back leaving behind 1st defendant and one Ramakrishna; that there was oral partition of properties owned and possessed by Gopalaiah between 1st defendant and his brother Ramakrishna; that plaint schedule properties fell to the share of 1st defendant; that 1st defendant, retired teacher used to attend agricultural operations personally and also leased out the properties; that 1st defendant purchased item Nos.1 to 9, 19 and 20 of schedule properties, out of the income derived from joint family properties; that 1st defendant purchased some properties in the name of 2nd defendant; that 2nd defendant has no source of income to purchase the properties; that plaintiff, defendants 1 and 3 constitute Hindu undivided joint family; that plaintiff demanded defendants 1 and 3 to effect partition and finally, partition was effected on 04.09.2004 dividing the properties among them; that plaint B schedule property fell to the share of plaintiff; however, defendants 1 and 3 convinced the plaintiff to enter into partition deed without effecting the same by way of registered document; that plaintiff issued legal notice on 29.08.2005 to defendants; that 1st defendant was also blessed with four daughters and all of them are married and they have no right or share in the schedule properties and thus, filed the suit for partition.

5. Defendants 1 and 2 filed separate written statements. 3rd Defendant filed memo adopting the written statement of 1st defendant.

6. 1st Defendant in the written statement contended interalia that in the partition between himself and his brother Ramakrishna held on 21.10.1975, he got an extent of Ac.1.34½ cents of wet land and Ac.2.35 cents of dry land situated at Upparapalli of Settigunta; that partition dated 04.09.2004 was not acted upon; that apart from plaintiff and 3rd defendant, defendants 1 and 2 blessed with four daughters and they are also entitled to share in the joint family properties; that item Nos.1, 3 to 5, 7 to 9, 19 and 20 are Sridhana properties of 2nd defendant; that item Nos.10 to 12, 16, 18, 26 and 27 of plaint A schedule properties are ancestral properties; that 1st defendant joined as school teacher in the year 1966 and retired as Head Master in Z.P. High School in 1996; that from his savings, he purchased item Nos.13 to 17; that item No.2 of plaint A sch

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