IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
RAMACHANDRA D. HUDDAR, J.
Smt. M.D. Devamma, W/o. Late K. Vishwanatha, Since Dead By Her Lr's Sri. Harish K.V. (S/o. Late K.V. Vishwanath) – Appellant
Versus
Smt. K.V. Kalavathi, D/o. Late K. Vishwanatha, W/o. Thippeswamy and Ors. – Respondents
Miscellaneous First Appeal No. 3988 of 2025 (CPC) C/W Miscellaneous First Appeal No. 4004 of 2025, Miscellaneous First Appeal No. 4118 of 2025
Decided On : 07-07-2025
| Table of Content |
|---|
| 1. interlocutory appeals regarding property disputes. (Para 1 , 2) |
| 2. dispute over joint family property ownership. (Para 3 , 4 , 5 , 6) |
| 3. evidence supporting relationship claims. (Para 7 , 8) |
| 4. arguments challenging the trial court's conclusions. (Para 10 , 12 , 13) |
| 5. legal validity and evidentiary weight of wills. (Para 14 , 15 , 16) |
| 6. legal provisions regarding registration of wills. (Para 17 , 18 , 19) |
| 7. understanding the procedural aspects of wills. (Para 20 , 21 , 22) |
| 8. evaluation of the trial court’s legal reasoning. (Para 23 , 24 , 25) |
| 9. the interplay of possession rights and conflicting claims. (Para 26 , 27 , 28) |
| 10. final adjudication and directions for lower court. (Para 29 , 30 , 31) |
JUDGMENT :
(RAMACHANDRA D. HUDDAR, J.)
These three Miscellaneous First Appeals are filed by defendant Nos. 1 and 2 in O.S.No. 135/2021 on the file of Senior Civil Judge and J.M.F.C, at Sira under Order XXXIX Rule 1 (A) of Code of Civil Procedure (for short, "CPC), being aggrieved by the common order dated 08.04.2025 passed by the said Court. These appeals concern three interlocutory applications - I.A.No.3 filed by the defendants, seeking to restrain the plaintiff from interfering with his fencing activity on the suit schedule property and I.A.Nos.4 and 5 are filed by the respondent/plaintiff seeking injuctive relief's against the appellants. By the impugned common order, the Trial Court dismissed the appellant's application and allowed those applications filed by the plaintiff, directing the parties to maintain status quo, while also granting liberty to the plaintiff to erect fencing.
2. The parties to this appeal are referred to as per their rank before the Trial Court for convenience.
3. The facts so narrated by the appellant in brief are as under:
The plaintiff claims to be the daughter of one late Sri.K.Vishwanatha, allegedly born through his first wife Smt.Lakshmidevamma. It is further claimed that, defendant Nos. 3 to 7 in the suit are her siblings, all are children of the said Vishwanatha and Lakshmidevamma. According to the plaintiff, the suit schedule properties are the joint family ancestral properties and she is entitled to a share by birth therein. She asserts that, the properties remain undivided and are jointly possessed by the members of the family. Thus, she filed a suit against the defendants seeking the relief of properties and separate possession of the suit schedule properties by metes and bounds.
4. Before the Learned Trial Court, the appellant/defendant appeared and it is defendant No. 2 disputes the very relationship of the plaintiff with late Sri.K.Vishwanatha. According to the defendant, Smt.Lakshmidevamma was never the legally wedded wife of Vishwanatha, but merely a caretaker. He contends that he is the only son and legal heir of Sri.Vishwanatha, born to his lawful wife, i.e., Smt.Devamma (now deceased). It is a specific case of the appellants that, the suit schedule properties are not ancestral in nature, but were originally self-acquired by one Sri.Kadurappa (father of K.Vishwanatha), who executed a registered Will dated 15.11.1982 in favour of his son. Later, on 02.05.2018 the said Vishwanatha is said to have executed a registered Will bequeathing all his properties in favour of the defendant. The said Will was presented for registration and it was registered posthumously on 15.02.2019, following the death of Vishwanatha on 16.07.2018.
5. The records of this case do reveal that, a dispute arose regarding possession and enjoyment of the properties. During the pendency of the suit, as stated above, the defendant filed I.A.No.3 under Order XXXIX Rule 1(A) read with Section 151 of CPC, seeking temporary injunction against the plaintiff, praying that, she be restrained from obstructing the fencing of the schedule properties. The defendant contended that, when the fencing was necessary to prevent encroachment by third parties and was not intended to disturb possession or alter the character of the land
Posthumous registration of a Will is valid under the Registration Act, and does not invalidate the document's evidentiary value. The trial court misinterpreted the law, improperly impacting the inter....
The registration authorities cannot refuse to register a document based on the pendency of a writ petition when a decree has been issued in favor of the parties seeking registration.
The central legal point established in the judgment is the mandatory requirement of proving the execution of a Will through an attesting witness as per Section 68 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, an....
The Specific Relief Act does not override the registration requirements of the Indian Registration Act, ensuring that registrations proceed even with pending civil suits, barring established cases of....
Court emphasized that non-communication of an order affects limitation commencement, allowing appeals within reasonable time frames. Omission of statutory requirements can render previous refusals in....
The time taken for compliance with obligations and stamp duty adjudication can be excluded when calculating the registration period under Section 23 of the Registration Act.
Time taken for stamp duty adjudication and compliance with obligations under a settlement deed is excluded from the registration period under Section 23 of the Registration Act.
The court clarified that a registered document operates from its execution date, and delays in registration due to court orders do not invalidate the document.
The legal significance of registered documents under the Registration Act and the Transfer of Property Act, and the inability of an unregistered deed to confer a valid title.
An unregistered Agreement for Sale can be admitted as evidence in a suit for specific performance, and appellate courts should respect trial court discretion unless shown to be arbitrary.
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.