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1995 Supreme(Kar) 336

Karnataka High Court
Savithramma - Appellant
Versus
H.Gurappa Reddy - Respondent
Decided On : 07-31-95
Civil Petition : 102 of 1993

Advocates:
K.S.Desai, S.P.SHANKAR, T.S.RAMACHANDRA RAO

The obligation to cite all legal heirs in a proceeding after the death of a party, and the need to do complete justice by allowing a review and reopening the matter to ensure fairness and legality of the compromise.

Headnote:

The applicant, Savithramma, sought a review of a compromise decree passed in an appeal, contending that she was a necessary party and that the compromise affected her rights. The court allowed the review petition, holding that the appellant was obligated to cite all legal heirs after the death of the original party, and the failure to do so was an error. The court set aside the final order based on the compromise and directed the matter to be reopened, allowing the remaining legal heirs to be impleaded and giving the applicant an opportunity to challenge the fairness and legality of the compromise. The court emphasized the need to do complete justice and granted the applicant the opportunity to make submissions on the compromise formula and the merits of the appeal.

M. F. SALDANHA, J.

( 1 ) THE circumstances in which a Court will review a final decision are varied and in the course of numerous reported cases, many different facets of the law have been settled. The present case presents a slightly more interesting situation in so far as the present review application has been very stoutly resisted by the learned counsel who represents the parties to the original appeal in which that order was passed. The present applicant was admittedly not a party to that proceeding and is therefore labelled as a stranger. The applicant contends that she ought to have been a party and that as a result of the final order passed in the appeal, that she is seriously prejudiced and that therefore she has every right to claim a review of that decision. Her contention is also that this is the appropriate remedy and that the circumstances in which the earlier order was passed are (sic) manifestly unfair. There is a direct charge to the effect that fraud was played on the Court in the earlier proceeding; that this was deliberately done and that the action was accompanied by mala fides. The learned counsel who represent the original parties have stoutly resisted this allegation and I shall presently point out, it is their case that nothing of the sort had been done and that the compromise that was presented to the Court was in circumstances that would pass the scrutiny of any judicial forum. The controversy is not very limited in so far as this litigation was preceded by certain other ones to which a brief reference will be necessary and, therefore, the issue involved therein also ought to have some consequence. In sum and substance, the present applicant has prayed for a restoration of the status quo ante unlike in the majority of review petitions, whereas the respts, have seriously opposed the grant of this relief which is why the matter will have to be decided in the light of the issues that have been canvassed.

( 2 ) IT would be advisable to briefly summarise the background that has given rise to this proceeding.

( 3 ) THE applicant before me, Savithramma is one of the daughters of Kalappa Reddy. After his death in 1983, Bhagyamma one of the daughters brought a suit for partition and possession of her 1/7th share in respect of the estate of her father. There were various pieces of property involved and ultimately, a compromise decree was passed in OS. 3939/83. One of the properties that came to the share of Savithramma, the present applicant, and in fact the only one with which we are concerned in this application is site No. 2 which is demarcated in the sketch. It is relevant to point out, that the adjoining Site No. 3 came to be allotted to the three brothers. Another aspect of the matter which is of some consequence is the fact that to the East of these properties, lies the property of one Gurappa Reddy and it is relevant to also mention that at the time when the compromise decree was passed in the year 1984 that Gurappa Reddy is alleged to have laid a claim and in fact encroached upon certain portion of both these sites Nos. 2 and 3. The sketch indicates that this encroachment consisted of a triangular portion of land, the larger part of the triangle lying in the site No. 3 and the narrow part of it lying in Site No. 2. Subsequently Gurappa Reddy had filed OS 3065/80 in the Court of the 14th Addl. City Civil Judge, Bagalore for declaration of title and possession and he had claimed the whole of sites Nos. 2 and 3 which formed part of Survey No. 8. His case was that his father had purchased this land under sale deed dated 29-7-1925. The trial Court had dismissed this suit on 27-7-1982. Gurappa Reddy had gone in appeal against this decision by way of R. F. A. No. 18-83. Kalappa Reddy was alive at the time when R. F. A. 18/83 was filed but he died shortly thereafter. After his death, his widow Revamma and two sons namely A. K. Chandrashekhar Reddy and A. K. Puroshothama Reddy were brought on record. According


















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