IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BANGALORE
T.N. Vallinayagam, J.
Marigowda by L.Rs. and Others — Appellant
Vs.
Ningamma by L.Rs. and Others — Respondent
Revision Petition No. 789 of 2000
Decided on : 27-11-2000
Partition - Hindu Succession Act - Mysore Act X of 1933 - Section 4, Section 8 - Section 6, Section 14 - Section 10(1) - Section 8(1)(d) - [SUMMARY OF ACT SECTIONS]
Fact of the Case:
The suit was for partition, where the Plaintiff claimed 1/7th share in the suit schedule properties. The Trial Court dismissed the suit based on the Plaintiff's right to enforce partition under Act 10 of 1933. The appeal was allowed, and a review petition was filed raising four grounds.
Finding of the Court:
The Court dismissed the review petition, citing limitations fixed by the Supreme Court and upholding the finding about the Plaintiff's right to ask for partition, which had become final. The Court held that the Plaintiff's right to ask for partition automatically arises when no partition takes place.
Issues: The issues included the Plaintiff's right to enforce partition under Act 10 of 1933, the dismissal of the Civil Revision Petition, and the interpretation of various sections of the Acts referenced.
Ratio Decidendi: The Court's decision was influenced by the interpretation of the relevant sections of the Hindu Succession Act and Mysore Act X of 1933, particularly regarding the Plaintiff's right to ask for partition in the absence of a partition taking place.
Final Decision: The review petition was dismissed, and the Court upheld the finding about the Plaintiff's right to ask for partition, which had become final.
T.N. Vallinayagam, J.—This petition is filed seeking review of judgment in Regular First Appeal No. 405 of 1995 delivered on 18.1.1999. The suit was one for partition, where in, the Plaintiff claimed 1/7th share in the suit schedule properties. The suit was dismissed by the Trial Court holding that the Plaintiff is entitled to partition, finding that the Plaintiff's husband died prior to 1933 and subsequently under Act 10 of 1933, she has got right of maintenance and no right of partition. The suit was dismissed though the other issues were rendered in her favour. The appeal was allowed on the ground that issue No. 5, wherein the Plaintiff's right to enforce partition was decided by the Trial Court earlier and was confirmed by the High Court in Civil Revision Petition No. 652 of 1991 and that finding has become final. Subsequently, it is open to the Defendant to question the very same right of partition.
2. In the review now filed, four grounds were raised. The first ground urged was in the absence of issue relating to the year of death, fresh trial should have been ordered framing crucial issue. The second ground was that once palapatti is held to be not a partition, Ningamma could claim her share only at a partition as held by 1976 Kar Page 30. This is what the decision in Hanumakka vs. Dase Gowda, says in para 10:
Section 4 of the Act overrides all laws in force in the territory of India immediately before the commencement of the Act in so far as such law is repugnant to any of the provisions of the Act in Mysore Act X of 1933, a widow of a deceased coparcener is not entitled to enforce her right to a share by instituting a suit for partition. Section 8 of Mysore Act X of 1933 provides that where partition takes place out of Court or through Court between coparceners, specified female heirs are entitled to be allotted a share. Section 8 provides for a contingency where the partition in a joint Hindu family takes place and there are widows and other female heirs in the family who are entitled to a share at such partition. This is not a case which falls under Section 8 of Mysore Act X of 1933. If the Plaintiffs husband had died before the Act came into force, then her right was only to claim a share at a partition of the joint family properties but she could not have enforced her right by bringing a suit for partition. As already stated, the Plaintiff is a Class I heir. Her husband Thimmegowda would have been entitled to a one half share in the joint family properties if a partition had taken place immediately before his death. The Plaintiff therefore, succeeded to the one half share of Thimme Gowda under Section 6 of the Act. By virtue of Section 14 of the Act, she becomes the absolute owner of the share of Thimme Gowda.
3. The third ground urged was that the dismissal of the Civil Revision Petition regarding the find on issue No. 5, cannot stand in the way of deciding the issue at the time of trial and finally, it is contended in the last ground that the dictum in 1942, Mysore Law Journal Reports, Page 377, (P.T. Chicknarasappa Alias Chinna Narasappa vs. B. Govindappa and Another) to the following effect has not been considered.
The succession to a Hindu male who has died intestate before the Hindu Law Women's Rights Act, X of 1933 came into force is governed by Section 4 of that Act. The section is not intended to be prospective only in its application but affects the succession to the property of a Hindu who may have died even before the Act came into force. This interpretation is further confirmed by the provisions of Section 21 of the Act.
That as in the present case which had been brought by the Plaintiffs as nearest reversioners to set aside the alienations of a limited owner, it appeared that there was in existence a grandson of the maternal uncle of the deceased, the Plaintiffs who were related distantly to the deceased on paternal side could not maintain the action, as under Section 4, Sub-section (4), the former w
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